Indiana University Pennsylvania can be added to the list of Hampton University, Hamilton College, the University of Colorado and others disciplining students and professors who dare challenge the folly of this administration. I wish Prof. Temes all the best in exercising his right and responsibility to educate his students and the public.

Levon Chorbajian, Professor of Sociology at University of Massachusetts Lowell, at 7:56 am EST on December 2, 2005

I Am Skeptical....

I sit on a tenure committee. I am always profoundly skeptical when folks claim they have been denied tenure because of “blogs” or public displays that fall clearly within first amendment parameters. My bet: the fellow did not meet the criteria for tenure at the institution.

AG, at 9:23 am EST on December 2, 2005

Tenure

Whether Temes was qualified or not is an issue for a faculty committee to examine; clearly, if the administration was warning Temes not to put information on a bulletin board, and tell him that it might endanger his tenure bid, it is a violation of his academic freedom. The idea that professors should be banned from expressing their political views on bulletin boards is just sickening, and even Stanley Fish wouldn’t agree with that.

John K. Wilson, at 11:29 am EST on December 2, 2005

“leftist loser"...grow up, jason

right, so the point here in the comments isn’t to debate the merits of pro or anti-war arguments, but the issue the prof’s freedom to post the troop casuality counts and the merits of whether it is wise to do so even if he had the freedom. throwing around epithets like “leftist loser” shows that you have little interest or inclination in a serious discussion but would rather be an unctuous troll.

that aside, because the professor is at a public institution, he should refrain from using that public space for political use. i’ve worked in a few public institutions in a few different states, and it’s been the same at each place.

furthermore, as someone else pointed out, he’s a health/p.e. prof, not a poli sci or sociology prof. that means his “official” statements and positions, when he’s presuming to use his position as a perch of authority, should be limited to his area of expertise. it is often funny how profs who claim academic freedom violations probably have no clue as to what the aaup policy states.

as to whether his publishing production merits tenure, a simple JSTOR search isn’t sufficient for a place like IUP. but the fact that he has none is somewhat telling.

savvy leftist, at 11:32 am EST on December 2, 2005

Empty point

Arguing that Temes deserved what he got because he posted something on his door is ludicrous. His reviews were positive until he dared to counter his deparment’s party line—no one is disputing his credentials in this article—that’s all speculation. Implying that he should not post politically charged information on his door because he is a PE/Health prof is similarly empty. If professors were held to that criteria (in that very same hallway, I would guess) then virtually nothing would be found on such doors. That might be fine, but of course it is only Temes that is being reprimanded for what’s on his door. Let’s not pretend that the issue is something other than the CONTENT of his messages. Many, many professors post stuff on their doors not “on their dime and their time’ but NEVER get censured. If they did, Gary Larson would lose half his income. This, “it’s a public university blah, blah, blah” argument is a cover.

By the way, posting the number of dead men and women is not inherently diserespectful. If it were then why aren’t people protesting the fact that the numbers (of American service people anyway) are mentioned all of the time in the media? Again, this is a cover, clearly. I might surmise that the real issue about posting numbers was the number of killed IRAQI people, not American soldiers. That number is published far less and has different implications for many people.

Be real, at 1:03 pm EST on December 2, 2005

OK, what are the rules? What, if anything, can be displayed in the academic workplace? Photographs of the President? Flags? Would something listing the names of the war dead be alright? Could I post data on the dead from past wars? Can I have art in my office? Which artists? Do I need to worry that the visible titles of books in my office might upset a student? When I am off campus can I participate in political events? Suppose I’m at a community forum and a student shows up on the other side? What if I’m on an internet forum and a student shows up on that?

The view attributed to Stanley Fish makes sense, but I detect on these forums a certain intolerance for political speech by anyone employed in higher ed, period. Where I did my undergrad work there were professors who were nationally-known conservatives, who were also vocally involved in campus controversies (and also, as far as I knew, perfectly fine teachers). Nobody complained that they were oppressed as students because these guys’ politics were well known.

Redecorating my office, at 6:27 pm EST on December 2, 2005

Another sad comment on the tenure system. And on public institutions in the US — so out of step with the way things are done elsewhere in the world as to be laughable. Nowhere else in the western world (perhaps except Singapore, nominally part of that designation) is there such a santimonious awe for the nation, the nation state, the flag, the president, so-called democracy, and the hawks in Washington directing the series of sorry overseas escapades that have divided the US. The idea that a head of department would take issue with what is is pinned to somebody’s door is so out of step with academic norms in public universities in the UK, Australia, and Scandinavia (I know those best) that it would itself attract comment. As I said, sanctimony, US-style. Roll on, the rotating Headship.

SP, at 8:51 pm EST on December 2, 2005

be real

BJ,

Did you really write, “all postings should be eliminated"? If that’s not Orwellian, I don’t know what is.

The far right fringe you represent has apparently totally forfeited any adherence to the constitution, not to mention libertarian principles, in their attempt to justify this war and their attacks on free thinking in this country. After all postings are eliminated, I suppose then all thinking will be eliminated. At that point, the rest of us will be just like you: nothing to say and without a thought in our heads.

be real, at 4:36 am EST on December 5, 2005

The judgmental no-names

I am concerned with why reputedly academic professionals must use monikers and pseudonyms when responding to an article. Those usually appear in sexual-personnel listings, and where the individual is ashamed of who he or she is.

Alan Temes has every right to post his opinions, as that is what many fought and died for. To censor them makes Indiana University of Pennsylvania Law School suspect. As for his publication record, there is no definite guarantee that all things (if any) written by Professor Temes are on the internet. The Library of Congress has only 86 of my books, while other libraries on the internet contain more. These books, by their very nature, preclude me from academic employment for I am (proudly) one of the liberals so easily despised (I write on abortion, Bush, homosexuality, women, minorities, religion and other taboos; IUP has one of my books—surprisingly a very old on on interior design, a strong subject with me, but not my main interest or academic work).

What counts is a person’s education, ability to captivate and educate an audience, inspire others to pursue a genuine conduct of inquiry to make intelligent decisions. Professor Temes, according to IUP, has a respectable and varied education:

Ph.D.-University of Toledo (Ex. Physiology) M.S.-City Univ. of NY (Physical Education)M.A.-CCNY (Medieval/Renaissance Studies)

The fact that Prof. Temes has s varied academic mastery, in my mind, makes him far more qualified to win students, than those with a single subject specialty. This is a complex world and growing more intricate daily. We need more men like Alan Temes, and should ignore those so ashamed of who they are they use cute nicknames.

Arthur Ide, PhD, at 9:33 am EST on December 6, 2005