1977-05-04; Central Michigan Life

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Volume 58 No. $5
Mt. Pleasant, Mich. 48859
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Teachers denied tenure;
angry students protest
Approximately 10 students protested the tenure denial of two
special education professors Tuesday in front of Sloan Hall.
Virginia Pearson and Larry Schaftenaar, assistant professors of
special education, were denied tenure recently and given no
reason (LIFE photo by Brad Drewyor).
by KAREN MAGNUSON
CM LIFE Reporter
Some professors recently
were denied tenure at CMU, and
students say they are shocked
and upset about it.
For instance, many students
majoring in special education
are angry because Virginia
Pearson and Larry Schaftenaar,
both assistant professors of
special education, were denied
tenure a few weeks ago. The
denial means they have only one
more year to teach at CMU.
According to Leslie Cochran,
acting vice provost for administration, tenure is a long-
term commitment to the individual as long as the individual
performs in a satisfactory
manner.
Cochran said professors
generally are evaluated for
teaching effectiveness, service
A-Senate approves
contingency calendar
by CAROL DAMIOLI
and
JOHNGROGAN
CM LIFE Reporters
» A contingency calendar for
Winter Semester 197& was
approved by the Academic
Senate at its meeting Tuesday.
The calendar will be used in case
severe weather and an energy
shortage forces CMU to close
temporarily.
of
of
Eleven
mendations
Contingency
m it tee  were
12    recom-
the   Ad   Hoc
Calendar    Com-
approved.  Those
inside:
—Citizens question downtown project quality—
page 3A
-Commission okays
'.transportation authority— page 5A
■■—Gentle Friday features
food, fun, games—page
V8A  ,
recommendations outline ways
of making up lost time by the
elimination of Spring Break and
longer class periods. Depending
on the length df time the
tJiuversity must close, extended
class periods could add an additional ten to 40 minutes to the
present 50 and 80 minute
periods. These extended class
periods could last from one to
10 weeks.
Other committee recommendations included the purchase and development of a
central control system and an
integrated utility system to
improve energy efficiency on
campus.
Action on a twelfth recommendation of the committee,
calling for three 14-week
semesters, was postponed to
allow academic departments
time for consideration. It will
appear on a Senate agenda when
the Executive Board determines
departments have had enough
time to discuss implications of
Registrar posts
exam schedule
. Final examinations begin Monday for the 1977 Winter
Semester.
Students with more than three examinations scheduled for
the same day may have one of the exams rescheduled. This
should be prearranged between the student and instructor.
Examinations in classes which begin on the half hour will fall
in the same time period as the examinations for those classes
beginning on the hour. For example, classes meeting at 9:30 to
10:50 a.m. will have examinations at the same hour as classes
meeting at 9 to 9:50 a.m. *
Evening classes which meet at 4 p.m. or later will have their
examinations at the regular class meeting time during
examination week.
The following is the 1977 Winter Semester examination
schedule:
Weekday and evening classes
regularly meeting as:
A       .,    , ..   _.    Monday
9 a.m. Monday combinations
1 p.m. Non-Monday combinations
.9 a.m. Non-Monday combinations
1 p.m. Monday combinations
Tuesday
2 p.m. Monday combinations
8   a.m.   Non-Monday  : combinations
2 p.m. Non-Monday combinations
8 a.m. Monday combinations
Wednesday
10 a.m. Monday combinations
12 p.m. Non-Monday combinations
10 a.m. Non-Monday combinations
> 12 p.m. Monday combinations
Thursday
11 a.m. Monday combinations
3 p.m. Non-Monday combinations
* 11 &,m.*Non-Monday combinations
■  3 p.m. Monday combinations
^ FRTOAY is open for examinations which roust be reachedul'ed.
Examination
day and hour
8 to 10 a.m.
10 a.m. to noon
noon to 2 p.m.
2 to 4 p.m.
8 to 10 a.m,
10'-a.t_.'to'iidon
noon to 2 p.m,
2 to 4 p.m.
$ to 10 a.m.
10 a.m. to noon
noon to 2 p.m,
2 to 4 p.m.
^ta 10 a.m.
10 a.m. to noon
noon to 2 p.m.
2 to 4 p.m.
such a change. ,
The three 14-week semester
calendar would be implemented
in Fall Semester 1978, providing
60 minute class periodsv and, a
full semester during the summer. Fifteen minute breaks
would be included.
At the last Senate meeting,
concern was voiced over the
committee's authority in
recommending a full length
summer semester. At that time
committee chairperson Dan
Millar, professor of speech and
dramatic arts, defended the
recommendation, explaining the
addition of an equal summer
session would result in a complete, year-round calendar.
The Academic Senate also
considered a report of the
University Program (UP)
Competency Committee. This
committee recommended five
skill areas in which students
should have basic competency
before graduating. They are
writing, reading, speaking,
mathematics and library skills.
After Senate approves the
skill areas, the committee will
identify criteria for determining
levels of competency and testing
methods.
Questions arose from the floor
concerning when students
should be tested, whether in
freshman year or later. Committee Chairperson Delano
Wegener, associate professor of
mathematics, said for purposes
of advisement, students should
be tested upon entrance to the
University, with the possibility
of additional testing taking place
during the junior year.
In other action Chairperson
Charles Eiszler announced
copies of petitions to change the
Senate constitution will reach all
faculty members by Friday. The
changes involve redefining the
basis of representation in
Senate. A 60-day period of
consideration will begin Friday,
run to the end of the semester,
then resume Fall Semester,
'Frame work'
featured
today
"Framework," CMU's literary
magazine, accompanies today's
issue of CM LIFE. Featured in
the publication are poetry,
prose, short storied,
photography and art. It is the
last issue of Franteworfc for the
semester.
commitment to the department,
scholarly and creative activities
and professional service outside
of the department. However, he
stressed the method of
evaluation depends on the
department.
Colette Zobro, Grand Rapids
senior, said many students were
shocked when Pearson and
Schaftnaar were denied tenure.
Approximately 40 students
majoring in special education
met last week to discuss what
they could do to reverse the
decision.
"Honest to God, these people
(Pearson and Schaftenaar) have
lines of students waiting to take
classes from them," Zobro said.
"They have such great student
rapport. In fact, they are so
good, the others (in the
department) can't even be
compared to them. I think that
it's just a big political thing in
the department."
The students decided to give
Pearson and Schaftenaar their
support by turning in a petition
and writing letters to campus
officials and the chairperson of
the Special Education Department.
A few of the students said
they talked with President
Harold Abel, Provost John
Cantelon and Dean of the School
of Education Curtis Nash, as
well as Francis Halstrom,
chairperson • -of- ih& Special
Education Department.
*'We were told that professors
can fight about this until they
are black and blue in the face,
but they won't be able to do
anything without student
support," Carole Smith,
Rockford senior, said.
"They (Pearson and Schaftenaar) weren't even given
reasons (why they were denied
tenure)," Smith said. "Education
is a process of growing. If they
don't know their faults, how can
they grow?"
However, according to
Cochran, the tenure committee
of professors and instructors
within the department has no
formal obligation to give reasons
for the denial.
Smith added she thought the
problem of denial is within the
department.
"It's like a marriage contract
with the department," she said.
"You mean to tell me that it's
better to get a divorce than to
work things out?"
(See "Protest-" page 9A)
Criteria include
ability, needs
by BERNADETTE JOZWIAK
LIFE Copy Editor
A faculty member's competence and promise and the University's
future needs are factors when faculty members are considered for
tenured posts, according to CMU's Tenure Policies.
The policy approved by the Board of Trustees, states tenure can
be termed a University commitment to an individual to provide
"freedom to teach and to do research without arbitrary interference."
"This protection of academic freedom," the policy reads, "is the
fundamental purpose of tenure," Leslie Cochran, acting vice
provost for administration, explained the philosophy as a two-way
process.
"There is a professional: right to express an opinion and a
professional right to appeal," he said.
Tenure policies apply to regular full-time faculty positions, and
University departments, schools and administrative officials have a
hand in the tenuring process, according to the policy.
As a personnel matter, final tunure-related decisions rest with
the Board of Trustees, Cochran said. "Ultimately they make the
decisions. Everything else in the process is a recommendation," he
said.
Tenure hinges on the number of times a faculty member is
reappointed. Instructors and assistant and associate professors
originally are appointed for one-year'periods, according to the
It states upon reappointment beyond five, four and three years of
service, respectively, faculty members in those ranks are
designated as tenured.
After one reappointment of their initial two-year term, professors
are tenured.
Cochran's statistics show 462 of Central's full-time faculty
members were tenured as of Fall 1976. Distribution among ranks
indicate 169 professors, 165 associate professors, 119 assistant
professors and nine instructors had tenured positions.
While a non-tenured faculty member's probationary period is
subject to annual review and renewal, a tenured faculty member's
employment may be terminated only for certain reasons.
The policy stdtes faculty members do not have claims to tenure,
and Cochran responded, "It's not simply given to you by being here
three, four or five years."
Departments recommend tenure for members, Cochran said,
based on teaching effectiveness, scholarly and creative activities,
department and University service and professional activities
outside of the University.      /c,      „_ ,. .      „    n..
3       (See "Tenure policies—"  page 9A)
Union, Free Faculty
discuss election tactics
byTONYDEARING
CM LIFE Reporter
Both Faculty Association (FA) and Free
Faculty leaders have said they ran a fair and
honest campaign before the April 28 recer-
tification election, but are critical of the conduct
by each other and the CMU administration during
that time.
"Our campaign was more professional, more
academic and more kind," FA President Ronald
Johnstone said. "The campaign against us was
always sarcastic. Pejorative language was used,
as was blatant misrepresentation of our position
and past actions."
"We tried to be factual, and by and large attempted to maintain a rational profile," George
Stengren, Free Faculty leader* countered. "It
seems the. FA did not respond to any of our
charges or positions, and instead raised other
points that were mostly irrelevant."
It was the Free Faculty that initiated
procedures to call for an election in the hopes of
having the FA decertified, but the FA won
recertif'cation by a 284-224 vote,
A month before the election* Provost John
Cantelon wrote a letter published in a CM LIFE
advertisement.calling for a "careful weighing of
the issues and a free and open discussion." He
asked conduct be consistent with what-would be
expected from a community of scholars.
However, Johnstone and Stengren not only
believed each other to have been in violation of
these informal ground rules set by Cantelon, they
also have questioned the activity of both the
administration and an anonymous group which
called itself the Committee of Concerned faculty.
Robert Anthony, another Free Faculty leader,
said he had no objections to either the administration's   or   the  committee's   activities
because he believed all free speech should be
encouraged.
Johnstone charged the administration broke its
own informal rules when it allowed John
Weatherford, temporary assistant vice provost
for faculty contractual relations, to distribute
literature answering questions about the election, and when President Harold Abel mailed out
an anti-collective bargaining letter the day before
the election.
"The administration had a right to communicate with the faculty, but I was disappointed
it chose to take such a clear, partisan position,"
Johnstone said.
Stengren said he had hoped the administration
would stay out of the campaign, because it was a
matter for the faculty to decide.
He also had a particular objection to Abel's
letter.
"The union was able to exploit that letter,"
Stengren said, "That open statement of opinion
had precisely the opposite effect that was intended. I am sure some people who were going to
vote against the FA changed their mind after the
letter."
Abel said the administration became involved
in the recertif'cation issue for three reasons.
"first ofi," he said, "the discussion on both
sides had begun to revolve around the need for
protection from the administration. We felt the
administration Was not being treated'equitably
and had an obligation to protect itself.
"Secondly, as we listened to the discussion, we
realized we had a contribution to make by
providing information. Also, I did have a point of
view, and I felt the desire to express it."
Johnstone and Stengren also, were displeased,
with the conduct of the Committee Of Concerned
Faculty, a group which used campus mail to
distribute anti-FA literature, but did not sign
(See "Campaign-" page 9A)
3
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