Palatine, IL – Harper College administrators allegedly directed math instructors and tutors to reorder and rephrase mathematical formulas and theorems in student-facing materials – changes that could alter meaning and mislead students, according to internal email correspondence reviewed by Chicago na dlanu.
Emails indicate that Alex Crawford (Coordinator) and Erin Higgins (Manager) relayed or enforced directives to modify formula sheets and “simplify” expressions, even after staff warned that such changes risked mathematical inaccuracy. When objections were raised, staff were told the edits were needed to avoid “copyright issues.”
However, under U.S. copyright law, “ideas, procedures, processes, systems, methods of operation, concepts, principles, or discoveries” – including mathematical formulas, lemmas, and theorems – are not copyrightable (17 U.S.C. § 102(b)). 
“This is not cosmetic,” one tutor wrote in a documented objection. “It confuses students, violates academic standards, and undermines the integrity of instruction.”
Escalation of Staff Concerns
Multiple messages reviewed by the newsroom state that concerns escalated to supervisors, HR (Amanda Duval), and the Dean’s office (Michelle Harrell), yet the directive to alter materials continued. One tutor received a formal reprimand despite providing evidence of compliance with procedures, raising questions about retaliatory discipline against staff who object to academically unsound changes. In addition, that tutor experienced delayed pay, which further suggests the use of administrative and financial pressure as a form of retaliation.
Notably, when tutor attempted to raise the issue with the Math Department, department representatives declined to intervene, effectively leaving the matter in the hands of non-math administrators. This has heightened concerns that academic integrity in mathematics was subordinated to administrative directives rather than upheld by disciplinary expertise.
Why it matters
Students may be taught from materially distorted math content.
- This violates academic standards expected at an accredited institution.
- It undermines the professional integrity of instructors and tutors compelled to present content that conflicts with accepted mathematics.
Federal Investigations and Oversight
Harper College is already under two active federal OCR (U.S. Dept. of Education) Title IX investigations opened June 16, 2023, regarding single-sex campus programs and single-sex scholarships. While unrelated to math, these open cases place the college under heightened scrutiny of compliance and governance.
Chicago na dlanu has asked Harper College to explain:
- Whether instructors/tutors were instructed to reorder/rephrase formulas in ways that could affect accuracy;
- The policy/rationale and who directed the changes;
- What role Math Department faculty played in review/approval?
- The formal qualifications and authority of the STEM coordinator over math materials;
- Safeguards to ensure mathematical accuracy and academic integrity;
- How the college justifies a reprimand issued to a tutor who documented procedural compliance, and what protections exist against retaliation.
Harper College Response and Contradictions
In response to questions from Chicago na dlanu, Harper College issued the following statement through spokesperson Kim Pohl:
“Harper College is committed to academic rigor and integrity. At no time has the college instructed employees to alter mathematical formulas or materials in ways that could compromise accuracy or mislead students. As a practice, Harper College does not comment on matters relating to personnel records.”
However, internal emails reviewed by the newsroom appear to contradict this statement, showing directives from administrators to rephrase and reorder formulas despite staff objections. These documents indicate that tutors and instructors were not only pressured to implement the changes but also faced reprimands and delayed pay when they resisted.
Photo: Wikipedia
