So now we have it.
Portsmouth University confirms that they gave Ms Curtis-Taylor an honorary degree based on a "misunderstanding" of what she actually did.
Although she has admitted elsewhere that her flights were not solo, she failed to point this out to those responsible for granting her award and quietly accepted her degree on what looks very like false premises.
So, as an honourable institution with a reputation to safeguard, what should Portsmouth University do? They have two choices:
1. They can do what they have done so far and pretend that the award was made on the basis of "achievements" different from those disclosed in the FOI information.
If they do that, they will simply look increasingly stupid in the eyes of anyone who reads the facts either here or, probably in the not too distant future, in the local or national press. That problem can only be exacerbated when SWB finally prises from them the remaining information covered by his FOI request.
2. They can admit that they made a mistake and either rescind the award or, perhaps better, have a quiet word with the recipient and suggest that she might prefer to hand it back. Doing that would reassert their ethical standards, protect their reputation, and come across as facing up to having made an honest mistake.
I have to say that the second option is the one I would go for as it shows the University as having behaved correctly when the true facts have come to light; and puts the responsibility for what happened firmly where it belongs.
If anyone in the TCT team thinks that this is wrong: I would remind them of the challenge that I and several other posters here have made repeatedly:
Please answer the Three Questions.
Either do so convincingly, or apologise and offer to hand back these awards, and the whole problem goes away; fail to do so and it will continue to stalk you and blight all of your reputations.
Last edited by Jonzarno; 24th Dec 2016 at 06:51.