February 26, 2010 • Volume 99, Issue 13 OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW Nation responds after Alabama tenure fiasco By MARIE KYLE Sound, said. Among those killed were two bi- The academic community na- ology professors as well as the chair- tionwide and at Puget Sound is re- man of the Department of Biological sponding to a recent tragedy over Sciences. Two other biology profes- tenure. sors and a professor’s assistant were On Friday, Feb. 12, Amy Bishop, also injured during the incident. a neurobiology professor at the Uni- Bishop attended Harvard Uni- versity of Alabama in Huntsville, versity and began working at the shot and killed three of her col- University of Alabama in 2003. Al- leagues and wounded three more. though Bishop had a history of vi- The shooting took place at a fac- olence, a criminal check conducted ulty meeting, just after Bishop had by the University may have revealed been informed that the University nothing, as no charges had been of- had denied her tenure. ficially made against her. “The Chronicle for Higher Edu- In 1986, Bishop shot and killed cation” published an article Monday her 18-year-old brother, but claimed detailing the incident and providing that it was an accident. Seven years guidance for universities concern- later, Bishop was suspected of send- ing how to best handle issues relat- ing a pipe bomb to one of her col- ASUPS PHOTO SERVICES/SPENCER WADNIZAK ed to tenure denial. leagues. The bomb never went off, “Colleges should take a fresh look and Bishop evaded charges in both Exterior: A/L’s renovation includes a new roof, veneer work, mechanical and seismic upgrades. at their threat-assessment proce- incidents. dures, mental-health resources for As police escorted Bishop from faculty and staff members, and as- the scene last Friday, she denied Summer construction approaches sistance to candidates denied ten- that the incident had taken place. “It By BRAD RICE ed at $22 million and has been de- num.” ure,” the article said. didn’t happen. There’s no way…they signed to meet the Leadership in Kief said it was too soon to know “This is a sad and tragic story are still alive,” she said. Bishop’s law- Facilities Services has slated sev- Energy and Environmental Design whether or not they would be able that’s still unfolding. Nobody has a yer is planning to use insanity to de- eral projects to begin this summer (LEED) Silver Standard. to include enough elements of sus- clear handle on all of the complexi- fend her, based on the grounds that that will reshape and improve the Associate Vice President of Fa- tainable building to receive Gold ties yet,” Ray Preiss, a Communica- Puget Sound campus. cilities Services Bob Kief explained Standard certification, though he tion Studies professor here at Puget SEE REACTIONS PAGE 2 By far the most extensive project more about the new Health Scienc- had reason to be hopeful, citing anticipated for this summer is the es Center’s LEED certification. the recent completion of the new groundbreaking of the new Health “We’ve designed the building Facilities building. Sciences Center. to meet the LEED Silver Standard Similar to the new Health Sci- This new building will eventually certification, but we’re actually ences Center, the Facilities build- Academic VP explains house the psychology and exercise hoping to reach Gold. Whether or ing was designed to meet the Silver science departments as well as the not we’ll reach that goal will be de- Standard but in the construction new neuroscience department and termined during the construction process was able to reach Gold. local tenure procedures will replace South Hall as the loca- process,” Kief said. Though Facilities Services plans By MIKE KNAPE ees makes the final decision. Each tion for the school of occupational His comment was in reference to to break ground on the building af- of these recommendations are open Twelve members of the faculty and physical therapy. the extensive LEED point system ter graduation this year, they are to appeal. According to the Faculty are currently being evaluated for Major renovations to Anderson/ used to acknowledge various levels still awaiting official approval from Code, offering tenure is usually the what is arguably the biggest event Langdon Residence Hall are also of sustainable building practices. the board of trustees, who will de- most important decision the Uni- of their academic career: tenure. scheduled to begin this May and The system accounts for every- cide in March whether or not to versity makes concerning a faculty The University’s decision regarding will last throughout the summer. thing from the water efficiency of green-light construction. member’s entire career. these faculty members will be final- The projected cost of the Health the building’s landscaping to its in- Should the trustees approve, “Students also have an important ized by the Board of Trustees at their Sciences Center, which will be corporation of local materials, and construction on the new center role in the process. The Instructor meetings in March and May. For the funded entirely by donations gen- awards four levels of certification Evaluation Forms that every stu- professors who are not offered ten- erated from fundraising, is estimat- ranging from “Certified” to “Plati- SEE PAGE dent fills out are examined by the CONSTRUCTION 2 ure, next year will be their last year department, the Faculty Advance- at Puget Sound. Professors are usu- ment Committee and the President. ally considered for tenure during We read each form in its entirety,” their sixth year at Puget Sound, al- Bartanen said. though they can petition to be eval- For a faculty member to earn ten- uated earlier. ure, he or she must demonstrate ex- “To earn tenure is to earn a career cellence in teaching, a record of ex- commitment from a college. Tenure cellence in professional growth, a does not mean that a professor can- record of service at the University not be fired, but the burden of proof and there must be a demonstrated changes. After you earn tenure, the need for his or her position at the burden of proof is on the universi- university. Professional growth re- ty to demonstrate why a professor fers to a faculty member’s research, should not continue at that institu- published writing or other forms of tion,” Academic Vice-President and scholarly engagement such as art Dean of the University Kris Bar- exhibitions or musical performanc- tanen said. “Based on a 10-year av- es. Service to the University in- erage, 88 percent of those faculty cludes activities such as serving on members who are considered for a committee and advising students tenure at Puget Sound earn tenure.” or clubs. All of these criteria must The evaluation process for pro- be affirmed on their own merit for a fessors eligible for tenure is a year- candidate to be offered tenure. long process that begins with a rec- “Tenure began as a commitment ommendation from the candidate’s to academic freedom. It provides for academic department. Next, the the protection of a faculty member’s Faculty Advancement Committee, pursuit of ideas and truths in teach- a standing committee made up of ing and research from dismissal on a rotating group of the faculty and ideological or political grounds,” Dean Bartanen, its recommenda- Bartanen said. ASUPS PHOTO SERVICES/SPENCER WADNIZAK tion. President Thomas then makes Tenure has no effect on a faculty his own independent recommen- member’s salary, which depends on Interior: Renovation plans include making A/L’s first floor more accessible and aesthetically pleasing. dation before the Board of Trust- faculty rank. Opinions endorses split View from inside Discover campus club Get pumped for Girl ticket for ASUPS execs Iran sports Talk Opinions page 3 Features pages 7 Sports pages 9 A&E pages 12 2 NEWS The Puget Sound Trail February 26, 2010 [email protected] without changing the number of CONSTRUCTION rooms in the residence hall,” Kief WFA debate held on campus continueD FROM PAGE 1 said. Facilities Services plans to fin- will last until May 2011, followed ish the renovations to A/L by ear- by the demolition of South Hall in ly August of this year before fresh- Four students from China participate June. The new building would be men arrive on campus. fully operational by August. Kief mentioned several other tour of the Pacific Northwest for By GRACE HEERMAN Also set to begin after graduation large projects to take place over students and coaches from Beijing “I think they enjoyed this year is a series of renovations the summer including the in- Puget Sound welcomed four stu- Foreign Studies University. to A/L, that will make the building stallation of new fire alarms and dents from China to campus from His original tour was absorbed the visit and learned a more structurally sound, accessible sprinklers in University and Smith Feb. 11-14 as part of the Western by IDEA in 2010, and IDEA then lot from the debate.” and aesthetically pleasing. Halls, the replacement of the Uni- Forensics Association’s (WFA) an- brought the Chinese students to “We’re doing mechanical up- —Derek Buescher versity’s current boilers with more nual debate tournament. the WFA tournament as a stop on grades, seismic upgrades, some ve- energy efficient models and the -in The students debated publicly this year’s Pacific Northwest tour. neer work and installing a new roof. stallation of a second electrical feed among 55 to 60 other teams from The students qualified for this We’re also rearranging some spaces, into campus.