I»AMMH«AS BOX Volume 11 Number 10 YORK COLLEGE OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK JAMAICA-BAYSIDE Friday, December 14, 1973 15 TEACHERS AXED by Jack Katzanek hardest is the Humanities Divi- ident is the Dean of Faculty, sion, where 11 of the 15 instruc- Lewis J. Bodi. Dean Bodi poin- The Personnel and Budget tors teach. ted out that the criteria for judg- committees of York College and Considerable controversy has ing a teacher goes beyond class- the School's individual depart- arisen from the ranks of both room instruction. Also taken ments announced last Tuesday the teachers fired and their stu- into account are such elements that 15 faculty members are dents. At this time, at least six as administrative assignments, being denied tenure and are, in of the instructors have announ- research, scholarly writing, stu- the words of the committees, ced that they will file grievances dent guidance, departmental or "not rehired" for the fall '74 with their union, the Professi- college assignments and public semester. The announcements onal Staff Congress, which then and professional activities in his were the results of the annual attempts to have the decision or her field. tenure review, where overturned by the administra- Concerning the not rehiring recommendations are made on tion. At the same time, a num- of the 15 instructors, Dean Bodi the granting of tenure to teach- ber of students are circulating said, "We will not settle for any- ers who have been at York for a petition in the support of several thing less than excellence in the period of less than five years. faculty members. interest of the college. We are The 15 teachers are Mr. Luis The P&B reviews on who under an obligation to make Prieto, Spanish; Mr. Juan Pedro receives tenure are conducted on every effort to provide a quality Maguna, Spanish; Mr. Jean two levels. Each department has faculty." Dean Bodi; "Nothing less than excellence. " Photo By Mark Coleman LeRoy, French; Ms. Lucia Pro- a committee headed by the Dean Bodi pointed out that odian, History; Dr. Carolsue chairman, which judges on a the evaluations of each teacher severe doubts that his non- should run the mechanics of the Holland, Teacher Preparation; basis of an observation of the by his chairman are weighed reappointment was based on school and not interfere with Dr. Swadesh Grant, Psychology; teacher instructing his or her carefully. When questioned valid academic reasons," said Mr. education. They are usurping the Mr. Anthony Giordano, Art; Dr. class. In addition, the school- about the value of student eval- Fischgrund. This is a statement powers of spineless chairmen of Sidney Kleinman; Mr. Roy Rear- wide P&B committee also rev- uations, Dean Bodi stated that he'feels he can prove. departments and taking over the don, Speech; Mr. Joseph Fisch- iews an instructor's perfor- students often find it "difficult Mr. Fischgrund feels that this faculty prerogatives in such grund, English; Mr. Howard mance. The college-wide panel is to be tough," and thus reduces decision was administration- matters as final examinations, Sage, English; Ms. Sheila McDon- made up of 14 department chair- the weight put on the student motivated. He was approved for which all instructors are required ald, English; Dr. Chris Nouregea, men and one admistration mem- evaluations. tenure by Dr. Alan Cooper, the by the administration to give. English; Mr. Edward Bradford, ber appointed by President Some of the faculty members Chairman of the English Depart- According to Mr. Fischgrund, Library and Mr. Garfield StoTey, Bassin. have reacted adversly to the ment, but the college-wide P&B who will file a grievance with the • Counseling. The division hit the The appointee of the Pres- news of their denial of tenure, committee rejected him. Mr. union, the individuals that will and had strong words for the Fischgrund has some strong suffer the most are the ones that process of the hiring and firing words for the administration and will remain at York. He scored STUDENT of teachers and the people that its role in education. "The the decision-making process in run it. Mr. Fischgrund of the administrators are actually just a these matters, claiming that the English Department expresses ON B.H.E.? bunch of glorified clerks who CONTINUED ON P. 4 students from CUNY could not by Hillary S. Kalman influence Rockefeller's appoint- ments, and 2) that his appoint- The student governments of ees would not be on our side Quotas Questioned CUNY have organized through (i.e., in regard to the free tuition the University Student Senate policy). Therefore, the student (USS) in order to secure a stu- governments decided to place all dent seat on the new Board of their pressure on influencing by Frances Rosen to avoid giving effect to any Committee co-sign this resolu- Higher Education (BHE) which Mayor-elect Beame's appoint- aspect of 'quota' in person- tion and return it so signed to will assume office January 1, ments. It was timely indeed that on nel decisions; the Faculty Caucus Leader, Prof. 1974. The objectives of the USS Tuesday November 27, 1973, 3. That individual members Theresa Rizzitiello, by Decem- The old BHE was a twenty- Committee on Policy are fun- three days before the Personnel of the faculty in their com- ber 21, 1973." one member board appointed by damentally the same as the res- & Budget decisions became pub- mittee service recognize only the mayor. In the past, these olution passed by the York Col- lic, the York College Senate such proper academic cri- While the tenure system has twenty-one seats have been div- lege Senate on November 27, passed the following resolution teria as merit in their judg- failed to prove itself as a viable ided proportionally among the 1973. The resolution made by made by Prof. Hux on behalf of ment of peers:" means of staffing our universi- five -boroughs. It has been cus- Student Caucus Leader Neal the Faculty Caucus. Further: That, each depart- ties, imposing a "quota" system tomary for the appropriate bor- Haynes reads as follows; "Res- "Resolved: That, the York ment chairman and each depart- onto the tenure system will only ough president to be involved in olved that the York College Sen- College Senate approves the two ment Personnel and Budget serve to exacerbate the situation. the decisions on appointees from ate fully supports the following resolutions passed by the Univer- his borough. principles: 1) that all appoints to sity Faculty Senate on Novem- Last year after a long political the BHE should be made by ber 20, 1973. The first resolu- battle in Albany, the BHE was Search Committees with the tion protests against the policy restructured. Governor Rock- concurrence of, or at least the of October 29, 1973; the second IN THIS ISSUE: efeller originally proposed a ten full participation of represen- resolution calls for a ten point man board, half of which was tatives of the University Student action program; and supposed to be appointed by the Senate and the University Fac- Further; That, department Graffiti . • PP- 6-7 state. Enough political pressure ulty Senate (UFS), 2) that one chairmen and all York College was rallied to stop the Gover- member of the Board be desig- Faculty members assume respon- nor's proposal in favor of a com- nated by or at least agreed upon sibility for putting into effect promise bill. The compromise by the USS, 3) that one member point 2 and 3 in the action pro- Reviews . • - PP.8-9 resulted in a ten member board of the Board be designated by or gram: with seven being appointed by at least agreed upon by the "2. That department chair- the city and three by the state. UFS." men throughout the Univer- Nomad History . p. 12 Based on Rockefeller's polit- In attempting to reach these sity be requested in specific ical stance in regard to CUNY, it objectives, the USS — Queens ways associated with their was taken for granted that 1) •'.-•• • CONTINUED ON P. 4 faculty leadership positions Page 2 PANDORA'S BOX December 14,1973 PANDORA'S BOX Hillary S. Kalman '. Editor-in-chief Raymond Harley Managing Editor Jack Katzanek News Editor V W Joe Raskin Feature Editor Editorial opinions expressed herein are not necessarily the opinion of the staff or of each of the editors, but rather the James Ryan , Sports Editor majority of the editorial board. James Theodorou Photo Editor lenny almalech, jerry bimka, alberto carvajal, jim casa, mark coleman, John coltelli, eugene delgaudio, jr., andrew gobioff, david hojda, miriam leiderman, Student On B.H.E warren levine, jay lonchein, octavio marin, peter mark, hanne matthiesen, sam mora, fred munoz, (The following editorial originally appeared in the delores naney, al palmieri, bob reich, joe rodney, Queens College Newspaper "Newsbeat" on December 4, earlos salas, e.s. sawchuk, sol skolnick (arts coor- 1973. Since we are in full agreement on this issue, we dinator), ray warren, charles wilson requested permission to reprint it and it was so granted.) As some of our venerable faculty might remember, back in the Middle Ages, groups of students banded together and hired teachers to help further their education. Most of the world's most respected universities began just this way. In the City University (CUNY) students are still paying for and supporting the institution and its growth. However, they have minimal say in the decision-making processes and even that might soon be a thing of the past. The student struggle to obtain meaningful input in the CUNY decision-making processes has been a long and ardous one and still continues.