Gabor Lukacs, the math professor who is taking the university to court over the dean of graduate studies’ decision to award a PhD to a student who did not fulfill all the necessary requirements, returned to work last Tuesday to a warm reception from his colleagues and students.

“It was wonderful to be back,” said Lukacs.

“Some of [my colleagues] gave me a hug. It has definitely been a very warm welcoming.”

Lukacs was suspended without pay last October by the university for allegedly
violating the privacy of the student at the centre of the case by revealing their name in a court application for judicial review.

The student failed a comprehensive exam required to graduate from the doctoral program in mathematics twice. They later claimed to have suffered from severe exam anxiety, which dean of graduate studies John Doering has said the university was obligated to accommodate.

A letter signed by Doering and dean of science Mark Whitmore states that the dean’s decision to waive the exam came after broad consultation “in which a variety of options were considered”.

Lukacs pointed out that he is back at the university not for the administration but for his students.

“If I had to work daily with Dr. John Doering or with someone who has strong views from the administration, it might perhaps be unpleasant,” said Lukacs.

“In reality, the good part about being a faculty member is that you interact with your colleagues to some degree and you interact with your students.”

The hearing for the case is set for Jan. 20.

U of M director of Public Affairs, John Danakas, confirmed that Lukacs has returned to teaching at the university, although the U of M could not comment on specific faculty members.

“Certainly when suspensions come to an end, the normal course of events is for
staff to return to work, to their job,” said Danakas.

An online petition in support of Lukacs has been signed by over a hundred supporters, and several letters from mathematicians from around the world have been sent to U of M president David Barnard stating that the decision to award the PhD will harm the university’s reputation.

When asked to comment on the amount of support Lukacs’s has received, Danakas explained that the university’s position “is quite clear, and we’ve made it available on our website, in the official statements.”

“Certainly the issues that have been raised about, for example, accommodation, reasonable accommodation of students with disabilities, what the process around that should be, those issues are being reviewed by university.”