Dilemma: Right vs. Right
A Jolly Good Fellow?
John Merritt is a program coordinator for the Grand Scholarship Foundation, managing a fellowship program aimed at supporting recent graduate degree recipients in carrying out social science research.
Susannah Rose, a fellowship award recipient, was initially referred by a trustee of the foundation. Her grant award calls for her to produce a white paper on the motivations that drive criminal behavior, with a chapter due each month of the fellowship period.
Just as her fellowship is scheduled to begin, she receives a consultancy offer that will advance her field in a very practical setting, allowing her to recommend new prison policies to the state of Texas. She accepts the position, meaning that she will be absent for the first eight months of the fellowship period. She tells the foundation trustee who had referred her for the program, and the trustee indicates that the absence is acceptable. However, neither Susannah nor her trustee friend informs the fellowship program coordinator, John Merritt-as each should have done.
After a couple of months, John notices that Susannah is not submitting any of the required work for the fellowship. John tries to contact her, with no luck. The fellowship program?s policies are clear that fellows who fail to meet the terms of their agreement will lose the balance of the award. Following this policy, John writes to Susannah that the fellowship funding is being withdrawn due to nonperformance.
When the trustee hears what has happened, he pushes for an extension of the fellowship time-which is normally not allowed.
Should John terminate the fellowship, or make an exception and grant an extension?
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