Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Richard McCarty maintains his support for 's decision to honor historian in spite of criticism from students.

Goodwin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and well-known historian, is the recipient of the 2009 Nichols-Chancellor's Medal and will be the keynote speaker on Senior Class Day. Goodwin was also the center of a plagiarism scandal.

"I have looked into this very carefully and I've spoken to several colleagues about this on our faculty, and I will tell you that I am personally thrilled to have her here," McCarty said.

In 2002, Goodwin was accused of plagiarism in two news articles. Goodwin addressed the accusations in , asserting the errors were unintentional. Although Goodwin provided footnotes for her sources, she attributed her failure to "provide quotation marks for phrases I had taken verbatim" to mislabeling in her notes due to the large-scale nature of her research. She also confessed to having previously reached a "private settlement" with an author of one of her sources.

Senior Meghana Bhatta, an investigative member of the honor council, said Goodwin provided a "feeble excuse that would not even stand up in a high school classroom, much less in the world of academia."

"Vanderbilt is sending a flawed and hypocritical message to its students and to other institutions by hosting an admitted plagiarist," Bhatta said. "I hope that the administration realizes that we risk losing credibility in the eyes of the public by demonstrating support for a woman who does not stand for the ideals of our school."

The allegations resulted in her resignation from several positions, but she still retained the support of many scholars and readers.

"I think she has answered those accusations and she gave ample credit to a source that she used," McCarty said. "She worked out an arrangement with that author, but she in no way attempted to present that work as her own."

Goodwin was primarily asked to speak at Vanderbilt because of her expertise on the life of Abraham Lincoln. This year marks the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.

"We thought it would be great for seniors to hear from someone who has the ability to connect the challenges faced by President (Barack) Obama by those faced by President Lincoln," McCarty said.

Some seniors expressed disappointment that Goodwin was chosen to speak for Senior Class Day.

Senior Katherine Tennis, chair of the Senior Class Fund, is disappointed in the choice of speaker primarily because she disagrees with McCarty's statement that Goodwin's appearance is timely.

"We are living through such a historic time, yet Vanderbilt doesn't choose someone who can adequately reflect on the changes our country has undergone in the last four years," said Tennis. " has and has , yet we have someone completely rooted in the past who isn't even integral to today's issues and concerns."

"I find it odd that Vanderbilt, a university that makes every freshman sign the honor code, would reward her for work that was admittedly taken without notation from other sources," Tennis said in regard to Goodwin's past.

The administration has focused instead on Goodwin's many academic achievements, holding them as more relevant than the past damages to her character.

"Goodwin, through her keen appreciation of the lessons of history and their relevance in today's world, is a most worthy recipient of this year's award," said Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos in an e-mail to students.

"Tell me a Senior Day speaker where there isn't some element of controversy," McCarty said. "I really regret that anyone would try to disparage her reputation and we want to make students happy that she is here."