A hearing that could lead to the revocation of a Ph.D. issued by Iowa State in 1989 begins here today and will run through Saturday.

Judith Graham, a former ISU student, is being charged by university officials with plagiarizing parts of a dissertation required for a Ph.D. she was awarded by the Family Environment Department (now the Department of Human Development and Family Studies).

Graham denies the charges.

An attempt to rescind a degree is a rare occurrence. In fact, faculty members who have been at the university for decades say they can’t remember a single instance when ISU has tried to revoke a degree.

“It’s extraordinarily rare,” said Richard Van Iten, an ISU professor of philosophy. “The quality control along the way is routinely so rigorous that it almost never happens. This is clearly an extraordinary set of circumstances.”

Van Iten has been at ISU since 1965.

Tom Thielen, vice president for student affairs, concurred. He said the revocation of degrees and the corresponding hearings are “quite rare.”

Charges were brought after Priscella Brewer alleged that Graham’s dissertation — focused on the children of the Shakers, a religious group in the 19th century — did not give sufficient attribution to her book, Shaker Communities, Shaker Lives.

In a 1993 letter to ISU officials that included a 36-page attachment, Brewer said she outlined several instances of plagiarism.

“I cited several examples [of plagiarism], but in my opinion, the whole pattern throughout the dissertation was such that I had to respond to it,” said Brewer, an associate professor of American studies at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Brewer said she was made aware of the 182-page dissertation by a colleague at Ohio State University.

Brewer’s book is cited more than a dozen times in Graham’s dissertation — called “The Shaker Children’s Order” — but is only listed as a secondary source. She said she will be testifying at the hearing via the telephone.

According to documents filed with the state Board of Regents, ISU sent Graham a letter outlining the charges last year. But Graham’s attorney, Des Moines’ Morton Adler, appealed ISU’s authority to rescind a degree, even if plagiarism is proven.

The Regents sided with ISU at a June meeting. R. Wayne Richey, the board’s executive director, declined to release Adler’s appeal without the advice of counsel. Adler would not comment on it.

Adler did say, however, that Graham will be at the hearing today, Friday and Saturday.

Paul Tanaka, director of University Legal Services, said because the case involves a confidential student matter, “much of the information is not public.”

Tanaka said each side will present its case to the faculty committee, and the committee will then make a recommendation that “will be considered by other administrative officials.”

“It will be looked at by the vice provost for advanced studies and ultimately, the president,” he said. Patricia Swan, vice provost for research and advanced studies and dean of the Graduate College, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

According to the Registrar’s Office, Graham, who was awarded her Ph.D. and a master’s of science degree on Aug. 5, 1989, has a long history with Iowa State. She first enrolled at the university as an undergraduate in the fall of 1964. She left ISU in the spring of 1967 and re-enrolled in the winter of 1979.

Graham was awarded a bachelor’s degree in family services on May 24, 1980. She enrolled as a graduate student in January of 1983 and remained at the university until she completed her Ph.D. program.

Graham listed her hometown as Ames, and her last known address was in Pennsylvania.

Gordon Bivens, a distinguished professor in the Human Development and Family Studies Department, is listed in the dissertation as Graham’s major professor. Patricia Keith, assistant dean, signed the dissertation for the Graduate College.

Other members of the committee that approved the dissertation and who are still listed in the 1994-95 Iowa State Directory include: Dorothy Schwieder, professor of history; Clair Keller, professor of history; and Andrejs Plakans, also a professor of history.

Keller said he has been told not to comment on the case, and he will not be involved with the hearing. Schwieder and Plakans could not be reached Wednesday.

Tanaka said the hearing is not open to the public, but the university will release its decision.

“The status of the degree will be public information,” he said.