sure there is. this is less important to the university than it is to HN. probably it's been mentioned to the dean of engineering, but i doubt anyone above that

sure there is. this is less important to the university than it is to HN. probably it's been mentioned to the dean of engineering, but i doubt anyone above that knows or would care without half an hour of explanation. and even the letter was heavily reviewed, the moral thing to do is to give a professor and two grad students leeway in interpretation of their english. (i'll grant that their past leeway in interpretation of their actions, but those aren't the same.) that doesn't mean it can't be a bad apology, it doesn't mean you have to accept or like it. just, come on, find more substantial issues than their adjectival choices.