DePaul denies tenure to professor

[DailyBread]

Now I do not fully know the merits of the case, but I think this article should make us think:
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070611/ap_on_re_us/depaul_professor
If this denying of tenureship is based in large part based on his beliefs, how come Catholic Universities can grant tenure to others who flagrantly attack Church teachings? People use the defense of “freedom of thought” that should protect professors at universities from being fired or denied tenure at Catholic Universities. I sense a possible double standard. This guy may be completely wrong (i cannot judge his work, i never read it), but if we assume he is, why as Catholic Universities do we afford those who are wrong when it comes to matters of the faith especially theologians to get tenure?

 

[otjm]

Given that this is an issue which does not easily submit itself to thoughtful and considered discussion without an extensive knowledge of both the professor’s works and those of Alan Dershowitz, as well as the history of this professor (PhD. in 1988; employed by DePaul only since 2001), it may be that this thread will not do much more than provide a place for bon mots without anchors.

It is part of free speech that one can criticize another. However, the issue of tenure is not so simly reduced; note also that the vote was narrowly against tenure. It is not as if he was tossed by the University with no one to state his case, and no one to agree with him.

Not having anough knowledge concerning this issue, it is difficult to determine if this has any impact at all, or any implication whatsoever, as to theologians getting tenure. Anyyone who has been around the higher education genre whould have some knowledge of someone who could be considered suspect as to how they achieved tenure.

 

[Smber2c]

I’m am not certain what the rules are on granting tenure at most schools. I’m not sure it they are standardized for all colleges or if each makes it’s own rules. But were I running a Catholic college, tenure is something that I’d be very careful about handing out - even at the expense of losing a few good professors.

I plan to study Theology at a masters level in about a year and sadly I’ve been strongly advised by several people to avoid Loyola of New Orleans, my local Catholic College. A Jesuit in the area told me that there were to many anti-orthodox professors granted tenure and now the remaining Jesuits have lost control of the school, or the Theology Department at least.

This of course is a terible thing. I’ve of course heard horror stories about the ‘liberal’ Jesuits, but at least in New Orleans it seems to really be because of the non-Jesuit Professors dirtying Loyola’s name. Every Jesuit that I know (I thought of 7 just now), is a wonderfully educated and faithful priest or brother.

DePaul may be doing a very good thing in keeping tight reigns on their tenures. I know nothing of this man, but sadly a couple of loony professors could make quite the bad name for their university without DePaul having any power to remove them if they grant tenure to the wrong people.

 

[stinkcat_14]

I’m am not certain what the rules are on granting tenure at most schools. I’m not sure it they are standardized for all colleges or if each makes it’s own rules. But were I running a Catholic college, tenure is something that I’d be very careful about handing out - even at the expense of losing a few good professors.

If Catholic colleges are like the rest of colleges then each school would set their own rules. For example, I imagine that it would be more difficult to get tenure at Boston College than at some smaller school that is more teaching oriented. You need to be careful who you give tenure to, because it can be very difficult to fire or even discipline a tenured professor. We had one guy who was so bad that the university paid him and didn’t ask him to teach for a couple of years until he retired. Of course, I can’t understand why he retired, after all, why retire on part of your income when you can retire on all of it.