2008 Woodie Awards
Rosenberg approves Morgensen's appeal
The Faculty Personnel Committee will now go back and reopen the WGSS professor's tenure case
By: Amy Lieberman, Editor in Chief
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: News
One month after Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies professor Scott Morgensen filed an appeal in response to his tenure denial, he received some good news late Wednesday night: President Brian Rosenberg has approved his appeal.
While Rosenberg's decision does not reverse Morgensen's initial tenure rejection, it does call for the Faculty Personnel Committee to reconsider his tenure case.
This academic year, seven professors were up for tenure. Morgensen and French professor Diane Brown were the only two who did not receive it.
As of press time Wednesday night, Brown, who, like Morgensen, filed an appeal in mid-March, could not be reached for comment.
Professors can file tenure decision appeals based on either procedural violations or academic freedom. Morgensen implied that he and Brown chose the former route.
"We are not appealing the evaluation of the content of the file, but the process of the review. The Appeals Committee is considering whether there was a violation of proper process," Morgensen said.
Morgensen's initial tenure denial and appeals case has garnered an unusual level of publicity in the past few months. Following Morgensen's rejection, more than 200 students rallied together under the Facebook group "Scott Morgensen lovers" and 60 students sent letters of support to five different administrators, advocating for the professor's case to be reconsidered.
Morgensen said that he doesn't discuss his tenure denial in class, but that he is very appreciative of the support his students have shown.
After the Faculty Appeals Committee receives a candidate's note of appeal, it has two weeks to make a recommendation to Rosenberg. Rosenberg then reviews the recommendation and decides within two weeks if he wants to accept or reject the FAC's decision. He can also call for the FAC to reconsider the matter and further investigate the case.
As the process is entirely confidential, it is unclear whether Rosenberg acted in line with or against the FAC's recommendation.
While Rosenberg's decision does not reverse Morgensen's initial tenure rejection, it does call for the Faculty Personnel Committee to reconsider his tenure case.
This academic year, seven professors were up for tenure. Morgensen and French professor Diane Brown were the only two who did not receive it.
As of press time Wednesday night, Brown, who, like Morgensen, filed an appeal in mid-March, could not be reached for comment.
Professors can file tenure decision appeals based on either procedural violations or academic freedom. Morgensen implied that he and Brown chose the former route.
"We are not appealing the evaluation of the content of the file, but the process of the review. The Appeals Committee is considering whether there was a violation of proper process," Morgensen said.
Morgensen's initial tenure denial and appeals case has garnered an unusual level of publicity in the past few months. Following Morgensen's rejection, more than 200 students rallied together under the Facebook group "Scott Morgensen lovers" and 60 students sent letters of support to five different administrators, advocating for the professor's case to be reconsidered.
Morgensen said that he doesn't discuss his tenure denial in class, but that he is very appreciative of the support his students have shown.
After the Faculty Appeals Committee receives a candidate's note of appeal, it has two weeks to make a recommendation to Rosenberg. Rosenberg then reviews the recommendation and decides within two weeks if he wants to accept or reject the FAC's decision. He can also call for the FAC to reconsider the matter and further investigate the case.
As the process is entirely confidential, it is unclear whether Rosenberg acted in line with or against the FAC's recommendation.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
David
posted 4/18/08 @ 11:40 AM CST
YAY Scott! Educator of the year is well-deserved!
MacAlum
posted 4/18/08 @ 11:33 PM CST
There is something very wrong with Macalester's tenure process if 2 of 7 faculty members up for tenure were denied it.
Is Macalester reviewing tenure-track faculty annually and giving them feedback on where they can improve, as well as where they're doing well? All feedback related to achieving tenure should all be documented annually in each tenure-track faculty member's file. (Continued…)
DJ-B
posted 4/21/08 @ 2:18 AM CST
Thanks B-Rose!!! Keep it up!!!
Go Scott!!!
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