Advertisement

Advertisement

News, Views and Careers for All of Higher Education

Post-Tenure Reviews Without Due Process

Virginia State University has experienced plenty of strife between the faculty and administration in recent years. And according to a new report from the American Association of University Professors, one consequence is a lack of due process and fairness in post-tenure reviews, which has led to improper dismissals.

Related stories

The report outlines the events that led Virginia State to dismiss Sikiru Ade Olusoga and Jean R. Cobbs from their positions. The AAUP offers institutions that it is criticizing the right to present a reply. But according to the AAUP, Virginia State officials told the association that the report contained errors, but said that they could not elaborate because of “legal considerations.” The university did not respond to a request for comment from Inside Higher Ed.

According to the AAUP report, Olusoga was given a poor rating in his post-tenure review, and placed on a list where he would have to improve or face dismissal despite having received an outstanding rating from both his department (management and marketing) and dean. The reason his rating was downgraded, the AAUP found, was that the university was seeking accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and so applied that group’s standards (as interpreted by a consultant) to faculty members.

The AAUP said that Virginia State violated Olusoga’s rights by switching standards without faculty involvement, by having outside consultants evaluate whether professors met those standards — again without faculty involvement — and by not giving Olusoga the opportunity to reply to the conclusions of the consultant.

Cobbs, who teaches social work, has raised a series of complaints against Virginia State administrators over the years, arguing that she is discriminated against because she is an outspoken black Republican at a historically black college where her politics place her in a distinct minority. (University officials have repeatedly denied her charges.)

In her post-tenure review, she said she was not given the opportunity to challenge unfair statements and conclusions and that the administration did not follow its own procedures on numerous steps in the process. The AAUP agreed.

In the case of both professors, the association found, the administration changed rules to the “disadvantage” of the faculty members “and potentially to the disadvantage of other tenured faculty members.” The changes, the AAUP found, “represented gross departures from academic due process.”

Scott Jaschik

Got something to say?


Want it on paper? Print this page.
Know someone who’d be interested? Forward this story.
Want to stay informed? Sign up for free daily news e-mail.

Advertisement

Comments

The administration at VSU has evidently been power crazy for some time now. This is not the first time there seems to be gross mismanagement here. This ‘reign of terror’ and mismanagement has seen millions of dollars lost in taxpayer money through lawsuit settlements and almost certain harm done to the reputation of Virginia Higher Education. Those of us in the Commonwealth that produced Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe hope that some of our elected officials will shine a much needed light on the travesties occurring at VSU.

K.E. Wagner, at 2:24 pm EDT on May 16, 2005

Cobbs & Olusoga cases

I have plenty to add to the article about the dastardly firing of these two fine academicians. However, I am under a gag order from the provost of Virginia State University not to discuss them. I hope other members of the Virginia Association of Scholars will step up to the plate.

Carey E. Stronach, Ph.D. Professor of Physics Virginia State UniversityPresident, Virginia Association of Scholars

Carey E. Stronach, Professor of Physics at Virginia State University, at 2:24 pm EDT on May 16, 2005

The firing of Professor Jean Cobbs by VSU is an absolute outrage. The AAUP and any others interested in minimal fairness and decency in academia should press her case vigorously.

Thomas O Vinson, Professor at Washington & Lee University, at 5:36 pm EDT on May 16, 2005

Advertisement

 Jobs Related to Post-Tenure Reviews Without Due Process

or search for jobs directly.

Uphs Privacy Officer
University of Pennsylvania

The nation’s first university, Penn is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. Situated on a ... see job

Professor, Legal Studies & Business Ethics
University of Pennsylvania

The nation’s first university, Penn is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. Situated on a ... see job

Assistant/Associate Professor — DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP
University of La Verne

Position #2944 Assistant/Associate Professor-DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP The University of La Verne’s ... see job

Assistant or Associate Professor
East Carolina University

East Carolina University, a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina, is a doctoral institution with an ... see job

Campus Instructors
Kaplan University

Campus Instructors — Accounting Full & Part-Time • Lincoln, NE Kaplan University is a thriving division of Kaplan, Inc., a ... see job

Lecturers
Ithaca College

Job Description: The School of Business is creating a pool of qualified part-time lecturers in a variety of ... see job

Temporary Management Instructors, Fall 2008
West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Join a vibrant campus community whose excellence is reflected in its diversity and student success. West Chester University ... see job

Teaching Specialist/Senior Teaching Specialist/Senior Lecturer
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota is a premier employer and a talent magnet attracting leading faculty and staff from around the ... see job

2206-Assistant Professor-Department of Management
Towson University

Towson University invites applications for a tenure track entry-level assistant professor position in the Department of ... see job

2203-Assistant Professor-Department of Marketing & E-Business
Towson University

The Department of Marketing and E-Business at Towson University invites applications for a tenure-track position as Assistant ... see job