Eton Profs Stripped of Personnel Rights Unplanned Bugs Creep Into CAR 1
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1 Tuesday, September 10, 1974 Spartan Daily Serving San Jose State University Since 1934 Eton profs stripped of personnel rights 11, By Phil Trounstine Burns, was termed the destruction of teaching records, path breaking PhD the department." Tenured professors in the Economics academic freedom" by several tenured dissertations finished or in progress Willis said he did not think the action Departnient Friday were stripped of economics professors. and 100 per cent support from was a threat to academic freedom. the right to participate in departmental Those professors revealed their students?" asked O'Connor. "The department is part of the personnel matters. version of the events inside the He called the firings an "attack on university community, and the question The faculty, for an indefinited period department only with a promise of cirtical thought and democratic norms of collegial government really has to do of time, will have no voice in hiring, confidentiality. They said they feared in the Economics Department." with the university community. If some firing, recruitment, promotions, administrative reprisals if their names Policies questioned parts of it are defficient in their per- reviews or other personnel committee became known. Another point of contention, sources formance, then some other kind of functions within the department. Committee formed reported, was the process and decisions faculty consultation has to be The department will be governed by a to hire new faculty members and fire provided," Willis said. Spartan Daily reporters were or- six -person executive committee, others. Additional assesment dered to leave the meeting Friday headed by Economics Deartment Dr. Willis insisted the faculty should But various professors had another between Academic Vice President Chairman Dr. James Willis. The give him a list from which he would hire assesment of the administration's take- Hobert Burns and professors of the committee will make all departmental faculty members. This was, according over of departmental affairs. Economics Departmnet. personnel decisions until such time as to sources, a break with departmental This is as old as the hills," one The reporters were told by Dr. James Bunzel has been assured the depart- policy wherein the personnel com- professor said. "First they create a Sawrey, dean of social sciences, the ment "is able to reassume the mittee made recommendations to the conflict and then in order to relieve the meeting was to discuss "personnel management of its affairs in a dean. tension they take administrative matters." Normally, such matters are responsible, professional manner." The committee instead recom- control." executive sessions, closed to the press Bunzel's statement explained, "We mended retention of its current faculty He called it a "fascist tactic" com- under California's Brown Act. have not taken this for light or transient and the hiring of newteachers for sp- parable to the experience of Chile, Subsequent to the meeting, the Daily reasons. We are aware that the cific needs, sources reported. Brazil and Nazi Germany. determined the meeting was not a remedial action is powerful medicine, The committee's recommendations Both Bunzel and Burns refused to personnel meeting at all. although not the most potent were largely ignored and the ad- answer questions from the Spartan The information about the meeting available," ministration hired new faculty, Daily. Burns said all inquiries should be itself, therefore, had to garnered from "We were told to do our teaching, sources charged. made to the president and Bunzel sources within the department after the research, advisement and professional Conflict arises refused to discuss the matter. He said meeting. The sources insisted their activities and to seek to remove con- Conflict also arose when the ad- his statement to the faculty included all names not be disclosed because of flicts," one professor said. ministration overturned the recom- he had to say on the subject. possible reprisals from the university Administration blamed mendations of the department's rhis is the destruction of academic administration. Economics Department sources promotions committee that Dr. Marvin freedom," one professor charged. "It's maintain that the trouble was brought Snowbarger be denied promotion from comparable to the destruction of The economics faculty was informed on by the administration itself when it associate to full professor, sources said. democratic activity because the of SJSU President John H. Bunzel's demanded that the Faculty Personnel When the question of Snowbarger's essence of democratic decision-making decision ill a closed-door meeting. Committee consider reappointment of appointment came to the University is the conflict of ideas. They the ad- Acting Academic Vice President Willis as department chairman. Promotion Committee, it found that not ministration) are attempting to remove Hobert Burns represclitetl Bunzel at the Normal procedure, sources said, only should Snowbarger be promoted, the conflict of ideas." meeting. would have been for voting faculty but that the entire Economics Asked whether he though the action Bunzel said the action was necessary members in the department to Department should be disenfranchised. was a good thing for academic freedom because the department has been recommend a chairman. But though Confronted with what he considered in the Economics Department, Dean beset by severe internal difficulties in there was a series of votes, all of which "extraordinary and unprecedented James Sawrey said, "I certainly do. If I the exercise of its responsibilities." Willis lost and Dr. Martin Primack circumstances," Bunzel assigned a didn't I wouldn't go along with it." Bunzel stated his reasons for the won, the administration still appointed review of the Economics Department Several professors expressed the Trrint action yesterday in a letter to all Willis to the post, sources reported. by a special faculty committee. belief that the action is representative Economics professor Dave Landes protests dismissal members of the university faculty. Economics professor Primack "It was a star chamber," one of the way in which administration The internal difficulties to which received a "substantial majority," economics professor protested. "There decision-making will be accomplished Bunzel referred were a series of sources reported over the weekend and was no right of examination, cross at SJSU in the future. departmental struggles last year over Willis was still appointed chairman, examination, inspection statements or Measure, "extraordinary" the appointment of the department even though he had said another name even verbal presentations. We don't But Sawrey insisted the move was S.J. council kills chairman and hiring, retention and should be forwarded to the president if even know what data they used to make promotion of faculty. he himself did not receive an "over- their recommendations." "an extraordinary measure, not a usual one." He said he didn't believe it would Accredititation cited whelming majority." Disenfranchisement recommended be used for other departments. Also cited by Bunzel was an ac- Several economics instructors who The review committee, accepting stadium expansion credition report on SJSU by the Far voted against Willis were fired from only written testimony from the The executive committee that will Western Association of Schools and their positions with the university later economics professors, concluded the control personnt decisions for the By Phil Trounstine into the stadium in the face of badly Colleges which concluded, "The that year. faculty should be disenfranchised and Economics Department include: Dr. A 10-year drive by local sports fans to needed services. departmental situation has its affairs governed by an outside Donald Anthrop (Environmental rebuild and expand SJSU's Spartan Plan costly Economics professor Dr. James deteriorated to such a degree that the committee. Studies). Dr. Theodore Benedict Stadium died this summer as the San "It's like a family that can't feed O'Connor, on leave from SJSU at the quality of the educational program is Willis refused yesterday to comment Speecn Communication), Dr. Edgar Jose City Council rejected construction itself all month long and then goes out University of Wisconsin, sent a now in jeopardy." on the performance of the review Hornigh ( History), Dr. Dean Cresap bids and laid the stadium authority to and buys a Cadillac," said Councilman mailgram to Burns in protest. The decision by Bunzel, conveyed committee but did offer his hope that ( Political Science), Dr. Robert Hicks rest. Roy Naylor. Friday to the economics professors by "How can you legitimate firing young the disenfranchisement "has the )Psychology), and Dr. Lois Lindberg Inflation had pushed construction Although City Attorney Peter Stone Academic Vice President Hobert economists with good to outstanding potential to exert a positive influence on ( Biological Sciences. costs to more than $11 million$3 termed the Spartan Stadium expansion million higher than the city and project a "dead duck," at least one university had agreed could be raised councilman suggested continued efforts Aftermath of new registration in revenue bonds. to establis,1 a sports facility for San The university-city plan was to create Jose. a joint powers authority - a sort of third "I think we do need a stadium and it governmental body - to run the stadium may be possible for someone to come for