2008 Woodie Awards
Morgensen, Brown file intents to appeal tenure decisions
Students respond with an outpour of letters, support
By: Amy Lieberman, Editor in Chief
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: News
Two weeks after the Faculty Personnel Committee denied tenure to Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies professor Scott Morgensen and French professor Diane Brown in mid-December, Morgensen and Brown filed intents to appeal their tenure decisions. This year, of the seven professors that were up for tenure, only Morgensen and Brown were denied.
"I was dismayed," Morgensen said of his reaction to the decision.
And Morgensen was not the only one.
"It was an absolute shock," Alex Douglas '08 said. After hearing of Morgensen's rejection, Douglas and other students created a Facebook group titled, "Scott Morgensen Lovers," which has since been used as a forum to organize students and alumni. By press time on Wednesday, 209 students had joined the group.
Douglas said that 60 students have also sent letters to five different administrators, in hopes of "drawing attention to the effects [the tenure decision] has on the WGSS department." She continued, "We're saying students are watching this appeals process."
When Macalester hires full-time assistant professors, it generally grants them a three-year contract. At this point, according to the Macalester Faculty Handbook, professors "are typically reviewed for their pre-tenure reappointment … and reviewed for tenure during their sixth."
During a tenure candidate's sixth year, the professor undergoes several review phases, which culminates when the FPC, composed of six elected faculty members, the Provost and the President evaluate the candidate's file and make a final decision by consensus. Professors are evaluated by three overarching categories: teaching, scholarship and service.
International and Russian studies professor Jim von Geldern, who currently chairs the FPC, said that Macalester generally denies tenure to one professor in a given year.
If a professor is denied tenure, Provost Diane Michelfelder said, the college offers him or her a one-year terminal contract.
Morgensen said that he "can't speculate" if he would remain at Macalester for an additional year, while Brown said that she is presently "looking at lots of different options."
"I was dismayed," Morgensen said of his reaction to the decision.
And Morgensen was not the only one.
"It was an absolute shock," Alex Douglas '08 said. After hearing of Morgensen's rejection, Douglas and other students created a Facebook group titled, "Scott Morgensen Lovers," which has since been used as a forum to organize students and alumni. By press time on Wednesday, 209 students had joined the group.
Douglas said that 60 students have also sent letters to five different administrators, in hopes of "drawing attention to the effects [the tenure decision] has on the WGSS department." She continued, "We're saying students are watching this appeals process."
When Macalester hires full-time assistant professors, it generally grants them a three-year contract. At this point, according to the Macalester Faculty Handbook, professors "are typically reviewed for their pre-tenure reappointment … and reviewed for tenure during their sixth."
During a tenure candidate's sixth year, the professor undergoes several review phases, which culminates when the FPC, composed of six elected faculty members, the Provost and the President evaluate the candidate's file and make a final decision by consensus. Professors are evaluated by three overarching categories: teaching, scholarship and service.
International and Russian studies professor Jim von Geldern, who currently chairs the FPC, said that Macalester generally denies tenure to one professor in a given year.
If a professor is denied tenure, Provost Diane Michelfelder said, the college offers him or her a one-year terminal contract.
Morgensen said that he "can't speculate" if he would remain at Macalester for an additional year, while Brown said that she is presently "looking at lots of different options."
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Leigh Smythe
posted 3/10/08 @ 10:46 PM CST
Macalester has always been known for very liberal standards and extremely open minded handling of subjects. As the son of respected alumni father(BA), and mother(MA) I graduated in 1972. (Continued…)
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