While a lengthy exposition of Marx is more appropriate for a “scholarly” venue, I have long believed the academic community’s nineteenth-century persecution of Marx, and one of his colleagues has not been sufficiently exposed. Would Marx and Bruno Bauer have benefited from an AAUP, that was formed thirty-two years after the former’s death in 1883? The AAUP would have probably…
Dominican University in River Forest, a suburb of Chicago, has formed a new A.A.U.P. chapter. They received a welcoming letter e-mail from Alexis Pearlstein, administrative assistant in the Department of Organizing. It included a copy of the Association’s constitution, which is not in the current Redbook. I am linking it here. From: Alexis Pearlstein Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2015…
It is time for a direct and specific disavowal of a key component of the sacred text of the AAUP: the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure. Most genuflect before its presence as either the Magna Carta of higher ed, the common law of the profession, the great classic document of academic freedom…
Dr Paul L. DeVito died suddenly and unexpectedly over the weekend of August 22-23, 2015. He had been provost at Saint Xavier University for two years. During his tenure, many witnessed a recrudescence of morale on campus, and an extraordinary commitment to academic freedom, shared governance and faculty activism. He was the greatest administrator I…
West Point Law Professor William C. Bradford has resigned. He had advocated on a non-individualised kill list the murder of professors, and presumably journalists who interviewed them, who did not echo his views on the clash of civilisations or the so-called “War on Terror.” Not only did Dr Bradford advocate the killing of professors, but also wanted to target,…
In an e-mail from Professor Steven Salaita’s attorneys, the fired academic from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign addresses the issue of document destruction and concealment: “The revelation that top administrators at the University of Illinois destroyed evidence is disheartening. The wonderful students and scholars at the university have a right to expect transparency and…
Phyllis Wise, former chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, issued a statement claiming the board of trustees of the University of Illinois reneged on a promise to pony up $400,000 upon her resignation that took effect on August 12. She claims the $400,000 that she had negotiated with new President Timothy Killeen, was…
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner opposes the golden parachute $400,000 severance package for Chancellor Phyllis Wise, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While Rauner, a Republican, wants to cut 31.5% from the state’s higher education budget, (another Scott Walker redux) his position on Chancellor Wise’s severance package is certainly laudable. The University of Illinois has a new board chair, Edward…
I have read the entire fifty-six page opinion of Judge Harry D. Leinenweber, United States District Court, for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, who ruled that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign could not sustain an argument for dismissal of many counts brought by Steven G. Salaita’s lawsuit. The judge has a rhetorical grace that not only…
Steven Salaita, a tenured associate professor in the American Indian Studies program, was fired a year ago with a summary dismissal for tweets that were construed as lacking civility. A federal judge, Harry D. Leinenweber of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, has ruled against the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign…