Summerskill's Dilemma Constant Crises

CLASSROOM DISRUPTED First Year, No. 1 Thursday, The Twenty-ninth Day of February, MCMLXVIII Fight Pages BSU, History Dept. By Steve Toomajian ing and laughing. Black Student Union members “What do you know about Africa?” disrupted the first two class ses Summerskill’s dilem ma “ Africa?” sions this semester of a black history course being taught by a “Yeah, what do you know about Africa?” white professor. The class they disrupted was “Not a great deal. I’d like to know more.” History 198, “ Black People in “What’d he say? Man, what the U. S.,” taught by Jerald does that mean?” constant crises Combs, associate professor of his “I don’t know much about tory. African history...” The class was arranged through “Well, how can you say you’re the history department. It is not qualified to teach black history part of the BSU’s Black Studies if you don’t know anything about curriculum. Africa?” Everyone Not Accredited “I didn’t say I was qualified.” Criticized, A similar class, placirg more “What? You’re not qualified?” emphasis on Africa, had been “I didn’t say that either.” listed in the BSU’s Black Studies Laughter. condemned in the act brochure at the start of the “This cat’s really too much.” semester. Taught by Roland Snell- “I’m no expert in the field of By John Davidson Everyone will get into the act ings, the class met on schedule history. I admit I have limitations of choosing a successor to John but had still not been accredited. Condemned by the far left in the field of black history. I Summerskill whose resignation A BSU member perusing a class and criticized by the conservative know enough to competently becomes effective September 1. schedule during advising week right, President John Summer take part in a seminar...” skill has taken the only way out Mansel Keene, assistant chan accidentally ran across the listing More Qualfied cellor for faculty and staff affairs, for History 198 - the accredited of a difficult, if not impossible “ If you really want to know said the Chancellor’s office in course. situation. more about Africa, like you say Los Angeles will work closely He notified BSU leaders who He has resigned. you do, I don’t see why this man with faculty, administration and spent the first few days before It was perhaps the only alter here (Roland Snellings) can’t student groups in the search for registration in meetings with native left for Summerskill. Har teach the course for you. He’s a new president. Combs and Ray Kelch, chair angued by campus radicals, used written prefaces and introduc The bulk of the campus res man of the history department. as a sacriaficial lamb by vote tions to some of the books on pond >ility will fall on a special conscious Sacramento politicians, Sponsor Wanted your reading list and you say facul > committee. Faculty mem incapacitated by the Board of The BSU members, seeking you’re more qualified to teach bers m u' ueid^ to choose from Trustees, and extended by the accreditation for Snellings’ class, the course?” among themselves five professors Reagan administration’s budget tried to convince Combs to relin “I didn’t say that.” for the committee. quish teaching duties in History And so it went, until Combs hacking - Summerskill evidently “This faculty committee will 198. Thev wanted Combs to dismissed the class half an hour had no effective solution but to work with the Chancellor’s office “sponsor,1' nellings as instructor early. Some of the white stu call it quits. in suggesting and screening candi of the course. Under this arrange dents followed through on their Summerskill came to this cam dates for the position,” Keene ment, Combs would have been promises to seek a sponsoring pus 18 months ago expecting to said. find a “dynamic, innovative” stu John Clark, chairman of SF dent body. He underestimated State’s drama department, served ftehiring confusion — “ clerical mix-up the situation. With a battery of microphones zeroing in on on the committee which origi Only a few months after he him, President John Summerskill znnounces nally selected Summerskill. took office Summerskill became his decision to break away from SF State. “This committee does not One of the sponsors of Roland dean of the School of Behav entangled in the most pronounc make the final selection of the nellings’ “ Ancient African His- ioral and Social Sciences. One ed and militant student unrest ernor Reagan, Lt. GovernorFinch, Summerskill’s resignation did president,” Clark said. “It travels )ry” class was not rehired for letter stated Fitzgerald would not in the campus’ history -- involved Superintendent of Public Instruc nothing to solve the difficult throughout the country, inter »,xt semester. be rehired. The other letter in so deeply that he complained tion Max Rafferty and Jesse Un- conditions which caused him to viewing those we feel to be ade Richard Fitzgerald, instructor structed Fitzgerald to disregard earlier this year that he “was ruh, Speaker of the Assembly, resign. These problems will be quate selections, and thbn present history, said he suspects the the letter of rehirement. spending all of his time on stu the trustees passed resolutions his legacy to his successor. our nominations to thd Chan d\torv department declined to Pentony said the mixup was dent problems.” severely restricting options and Unless these conditions are cellor.” J' e ain him because he sponsored a clerical error. Summerskill tried his best to discretionary powers with respect alleviated, the whole cycle will Keene said the faculty commit n el lings’ course. Fitzgerald’s Ray Kelch, chairman of the to student suspensions and the tee is expected to present three j-year appointment will end history department, agreed. solve student unrest over the occur again. Vietnam war, campus racism, and calling of police on campus. Reactions to Summerskill’s re to five candidates to the Chan the close of this semester. “Two days before Fitzgerald The trustees assigned a special cellor’s office. The day Fitzgerald was ac- was made sponsor of the course a myriad of other problem^. Sum signation have predictably varied. merskill maintained that any pro task force to examine his ste Reagan, the target of Summer- :pted as sponsor, he also re- I had already composed and re wardship. Their verdict: a clean Chancellor Glenn Dumke will blem could be solved through skill’s most biting criticism in this select two of the candidates and jived a letter saying he was re- layed to Dean Pentony’s office bill of health. ired. the letter not renewing Fitz “dialogue and compromise.” resignation statement has replied submit their names to the Board But the students wanted ac STudent unrest was on the that “any educator unable to The next day he received two gerald’s appointment,” Kelch increase but Summerskill’s power of Trustees, which makes the tion, not liberal rhetoric. Sum work within his budget has the itters from DeVere Pentony, said. to deal with it had been severely final selection. merskill compromised but soon lessened. right to leave.” .if ^ ^ ^^^^i^rVVVVVVVWVlflAriAruVVlAr discovered he could not exceed Rafferty, one of Summerskill’s In case a new president has nov Underlying all of the other been chosen by September the rigid limits of the Chancellors problems, Summerskill had to foremost critics said, “I don’t listed as instructor, but Snellings professor for Snellings. A few of office and the trustees. know of anything we have done committee will appoint an acting vvould have taught the class. Combs’ 20 students have switched face an acute financial pinch president. State politicians of varying de caused by the economical pol that prompted him to leave.” Combs refused. to Snellings’ course which now grees of importance took advan Chancellor Glenn Dumke said Clark said the chief obstacles icies of the Reagan administra in selecting a new president are BSU members then confronted has about 50 students. tage of the unhealthy political he “regrets the departure” of Celch. They tried to convince Kelch was asked later why he tion. relatively low salary - up to climate and seized upon campus Summerskill had 46 new facul “an inspirational leader who has lim that Combs, being white, refused the original BSU request problems to further their public firm and constructive views about $6,000 less per year than at m any vas not qualified to teach black for Snellings to teach History 177. ty positions to fill, but his efforts other colleges - and “the political esteem. were handicapped by a lack of the relationship of the campus •istory and that Snellings should “The rules say a department’s turmoil. Summerskill’s head was on the funds. How could he entice facul to society at large.” teach the course. experimental course must be block almost continuously as pol ty members to SF State when On campus the reactions rang There has been a great deal Kelch disagreed. taught by a regular faculty mem iticians publicly criticized his pol salaries were under those paid by ed from support of Summerskill of speculation about what type Under a 177 listing, a depart ber. Snellings, regardless of his icies on Open Process, anti-war junior colleses, the workload hea to indifference. of person Summerskill’s successor ment is allowed to insert in its qualifications, is not a member demonstrations, student suspen vier, and the budget for travel Ben Stewart, chairman of the will be. The consensus opinion curriculum an experimental class of this department,” Kelch said. sions, and failing to call police to and research inadequate? Black Students Union, said “we is that it will take an extremely to be taught or sponsored by a “To the best of my know campus.

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