Two Korean professors at UCLA’s School of Dentistry resigned following allegations of charging unauthorized fees to international students and improperly using research funds, according to a report by the LA Times on January 19.
UCLA initiated an investigation in 2020, commissioning an external law firm to review over 300,000 emails and 79,000 documents. The investigation led to the resignation of the department chair, identified as Professor T, and two professors, K and M.
The investigation revealed that the professors allegedly solicited tens of thousands of dollars in “donations” from international students in addition to their tuition fees. These donations were not approved through UCLA’s official channels.
The report also found no evidence that $120,000 in donations from two international students were used for the student’s research or education as intended.
The three professors resigned through a settlement without facing disciplinary action. However, they are prohibited from working at any institution within the University of California system.
The professors denied the allegations. Former department chair T claimed, “We were not given a fair chance to defend ourselves.” Professor M, in an email interview with the LA Times, described the investigation as “unsubstantiated accusations and an unfair process,” adding that the decision to resign was to avoid involving students in legal disputes. Professor K declined to comment.
The professors filed a lawsuit to prevent the report’s release, but a court ordered its disclosure in June.
UCLA refunded all additional fees paid by the affected students and has since revised its revenue-sharing structures and oversight of graduate tuition policies at the dental school.
Despite their resignation, all three professors are reportedly still active in the field of dentistry.
