Professors to File Tenure Grievances Communication Chairs, Dean at Center of Struggle Over Denied Promotions
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LANDING A JOB - PAGE 4 TCU Daily Skiff Wednesday, March 30, 1994 Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas 91st Year, No. 93 Professors to file tenure grievances Communication chairs, dean at center of struggle over denied promotions BY RICK WATERS TCU DAILY SKIFF Two professors in the College of Fine Arts and Communication said Tuesday they plan to file formal grievances against the chairs of their departments and against the collegers dean because they were denied tenure. Kenya Taylor, an assistant professor of communication pathology, and Donna Hall, an assistant professor of speech communica- Kenya Tavlor Donna Hall tion, said they are each preparing a report that claims procedural problems existed Taylor and Hall said they think their depart- when each was being reviewed for tenure. ment chairs denied them tenure because of However. Robert Garwell. dean of the insufficient research, but they would not out- College of Fine Arts and Communication, line specific details of their complaints until said he and the department chairs followed the formal grievances are filed. The formal all the policies and procedures of the tenure grievances must be given to the Faculty Sen- process outlined in the college's document. ate by 5 p.m. April 5. An Interpretation of General Criteria on Both Taylor and Hall said they expected Faculty- Appointment, Reappoinlment, Pro- to be granted tenure when they turned in their motion, Tenure and Merit Increases. portfolios, and now they are upset. All tenurable faculty are evaluated by Taylor said her portfolio is comparable their achievement in the following rank- with those of other tenured faculty in her ordered categories: teaching, scholarship department and in the College of Fine Arts and/or artistry, advising, service to the uni- and Communication. versity and professional development, "I feel I ha\e done the work to be tenured according to the college's document. and I deserve to be tenured." Taylor said. "1 Jennifer Watson, chairwoman of the com- am extremely, extremely disappointed and munication sciences department, and Paul I'm following through with a formal TCU Daily Skiff/ Brian Bray King, chairman of the speech communica- grievance. The Easter Bunny pays a visit to Kappa Alpha Theta alumni's children at the sorority's Alumni Easter tion department, said they also made the "1 have a problem with the tenure process Party Tuesday. Children ate cookies and candy and went on an egg hunt. decision to deny tenure to Taylor and Hall, respectively, based on the college's policy. steTukBTt,page 6 House OKs dating policy, Tenured profs now subject to evaluations announces Board funding Policy will keep TCU's most-protected from 'resting on laurels,1 department head says oped in the department, they help to BY MARK FLANAGAN The new policy does not allow BY BEN JOHNSON Babbili said he does not believe TCU DAILY SKIFF teachers or faculty members to date TCU DAILY SKIFF the evaluations will damage the secu- focus the department on its long-term students over whom they have direct rity of tenured faculty's jobs at the enure is given goals and objectives. The House of Student Representa- control, whereas the previous policy university. "T, Koehler said the evaluations see Beginning this year, all tenured on good faith, and tives passed Tuesday the change in allowed students to date their teach- university faculty members are sub- "Tenure is given on good faith, that the goals of the department and the sexual harassment policy and ers or advisers, he said. ject to a periodic evaluation of their and grants a certain amount of immu- grants a certain amount individual professor are being met heard preliminary' responses from the "The new policy will prevent dat- performance. nity and academic freedom." he said. of immunity and aca- and see what can be done to ensure March 25 Board of Trustees meeting. ing between teachers and their stu- Anantha Babbili. chairman of the Doug Newsom, professor of jour- demic freedom." they are met. The House voted unanimously to dents, thus eliminating possible journalism department, said the eval- nalism, said she is concerned evalu- ANANTHA BABBILI, "When you don't achieve your goals, the department doesn't accept the change in the sexual favoritism in the classroom." he said. uations are a way to ensure that the ations could destroy the tenure Chairman, harassment policy that has already For example, a student in one departments' goals are being met. system as it is now known. achieve its goals, and the students are Journalism department been accepted in the Faculty Senate. department could date a faculty The evaluations are written up for With the evaluations being admin- not well-served." he said. "A lot of universities are currently member from another department. each individual department, he said, istered for a certain length of time. department has a certain academic Although \ ery few tenured profes- working on changing this policy, just College deans or advisers would not and are meant lo see that tenured fac- Newsom said the university may be mindset, and a professor is not teach- sors are achieving below expecta- like we have been doing." said House be able to date a student in their col- ulty continue research in their field. tempted in the future to develop a ing that mindset, there could be big tions at TCU, Koehler said, the President Scott McLinden. "By pass- lege or department. "It prevents them from resting on term tenure system. trouble for speaking out." evaluations are necessary to give the ing this resolution it is a step in the Jeff Benson, student concerns their laurels," he said. Newsom is concerned about the Newsom said if the tenure system department and university a chance right direction to help reduce the Babbili said under the new evalu- evaluations, she said, because they continues to weaken, unions for pro- to address potential problems. amount of sexual harassment cases." see House, page 2 ation procedures, each department may change professors' behavior. fessors, which already exist at some "I see it as an improvement pro- head meets with tenured faculty The evaluations could stifle free aca- universities, could develop. cess," he said. every three years to review the pro- demic thought, she said, as profes- However, Provost William If a tenured professor was consis- fessor's performance and set goals sors may think twice about Koehler said he believes the evalua- tently failing to achieve his or her for the next three years. discussing controversial ideas in tion of tenured faculty is appropriate. goals over a period of time, he said, Police find gang graffiti The evaluation is not just to see class. "I don't know of any kind of pro- it would give the university a justifi- that the tenured faculty are achieving "What protects tenured faculty is fessional that is not evaluated in cation for pursuing termination or their goals, he said, but to see if the the opportunity to say whatever they some way," he said. early retirement proceedings. How- outside Ed Landreth Hall department can do anything to help want in class, within the confines of Koehler said since the evaluations ever, this would be used only as a last them. decency." she said. "If the chair of a are based on specific criteria devel- resort. Koehler said. BY CHRIS NEWTON do it in any place that is public. They TCU DAILY SKIFF want everyone to see what they're doing." Local fraternity goes national with Missouri chapter Gang graffiti was found by Cam- Assistant Chief of Campus Police pus Police on the TCU theatre mar- Thomas McGaha said it's possible versity. Seven men pledged the fraternity. He said the fra- quee and the mailbox outside of Ed that gang activity might be increas- BY DENA RAINS ternity's MWSU chapter is looking at 15 prospec- TCU DAILY SKIFF Frank Sherard, a December 1993 TCU graduate Landreth Hall on Monday. The graf- ing in the area surrounding TCU. and Tau Chi alumnus, helped establish the chapter tive new members. fiti, which was done in black paint, "This is the first gang activity near Tau Chi Upsilon. a local fraternity that was at MWSU, Grove said. His connections with the A national board for the fraternity was also appeared to be the letters GAK. our university property." he said. dean of students at the Missouri university allowed established. The board consists of TCU Tau Chi According to Fort Worth Police "Only time will tell if this kind of founded on the TCU campus, is becoming a national fraternity with the start of its second chap- the fraternity to be considered for a chapter on alumni. Department, the letters are the sym- thing is going to increase." The local Tau Chi chapter has been on campus ter at Missouri Western State University. campus. bols of a local gang known as the McGaha said he believes gangs in since 1979. It is not a member of the lnterfrater- A group of members from the TCU campus will The university had only two fraternities and "Get Along Krew." the area could pose a real threat to the wanted to expand its Greek system, he said. nity Council hut is recognized as a university orga- Crime Prevention Sgt. Connie safety of TCU students. be initiating the pledges at MWSU this weekend, said A.J. Grove, publicity officer and former vice The Tau Chi chapter at MWSU held its first rush nization by the Student Activities Office. Villela said the gang is known for its "All you have to do is pick up the Grove described the local chapter as "small" president of the TCU Tau Chi chapter.