>Tenure denied prof gets faculty support
>
>
>
>Washington Square News, Monday, November 19, 2001
> by Stephen O Reilly
>
>Distinguished faculty from some of the nation s top universities gathered
>Thursday afternoon at the Deutsches Haus in a show of support for Dr. Joel
>Westheimer, honoring his scholarship and research in the field of education.
>
>The event addressed democracy s relationship to education, a subject to
>which Westheimer has devoted a large portion of his writing and research.
>Attendees wrestled with the dueling questions of whether education should
>be strengthened through democracy or democracy should be strengthened
>through education.
>
>The conference was, in part, a response to Westheimer s tenure being
>denied last July. In September of 1999, Westheimer testified at a National
>Labor Relations hearing in support of the NYU graduate students mission to
>unionize. He was the only non-tenured faculty member to do so. Not long
>after his testimony, Westheimer s tenure application was denied, claiming
>insufficient scholarship, much to the surprise of his departmental
>colleagues, who had given him unanimous support.
>
>Robert Cohen, a professor in the Steinardt School of Education and a
>primary organizer of the event, felt that the conference should not be
>perceived as a gathering to pressure the administration.
>
>It was instead an intellectual event aimed at the entire University
>community and was held to further the kind of dialogue over democracy and
>education that Westheimer s scholarship has promoted, but that has been
>interrupted because of his tenure case, Cohen said.
>
>The event was organized by Westheimer s colleagues in Steinhardt and
>showcased two panels of highly regarded educators from Columbia
>University, Stanford University, Ohio University, University of Oregon and
>NYU.
>
>Numerous faculty members from NYU filled the conference room, along with
>current and former students of Westheimer s and members of the Graduate
>Student Organizing Committee (GSOC), who felt they owe Westheimer a debt
>of gratitude for speaking out on their behalf.
>
>Dave Sherman, a member of GSOC, openly thanked the faculty for gathering
>in support of Westheimer, because he saw this as support for the GSOC cause.
>
>Jon Zimmerman, a panelist and one of Westheimer s colleagues at NYU,
>passionately expressed his support and respect for Westheimer s
>scholarship in a speech highlighting the necessity of a pluralistic
>outlook in education.
>
>In the democratic world that I envision ... there will only be questions,
>and they will be big ones, he said.
>
>He also made it clear that he supports Westheimer in his battle with NYU.
>
>In his closing remarks, Zimmerman said, I yield to nobody in my outrage
>for what happened to you, Joel.
>
>Gordon Lafer, a panelist from the University of Oregon, departed from the
>abstract theme of democracy and education and spoke directly about
>Westheimer being denied tenure from NYU. Lafer was a primary organizer of
>the graduate student strike at Yale and firmly believes that Westheimer s
>denial of tenure is a threat to all educators and the basic principles of
>academic freedom.
>
>It s not a fact about backing one individual s bravery, Lafer said. This
>applies to all educators.
>
>Articulating the general tone of the conference, Lafer added, Westheimer s
>activism gives integrity to his scholarship.
>
>Todd Gitlin, a professor of culture and communication at Steinhardt,
>agreed with Lafer.
>
>[Westheimer] puts into practice the kind of critical citizenship that he
>believes to be fundamental in democracy, he said.
>
>I felt honored to have so many colleagues both within and outside of NYU
>support me, Westheimer said. It was especially nice to have a
>representation of faculty and students from my six years here at NYU, not
>only from the School of Education, but also from the entire University and
>beyond.
>
>Talking about democracy and education seems critically important these
>days, and the dialogue and exchange of ideas among and between panelists
>and audience members was both heartening and hopeful, he said.
>
>The richness of the intellectual exchange at the conference was a reminder
>of what we at NYU will be losing when we lose Westheimer, Cohen said. The
>conference attested to the respect that Joel s educational scholarship has
>attracted from leading scholars both at NYU and nationally.
>
>copyright ©2001 washington square news, all rights reserved
>
>
>
>
>
>Related stories
>
>See http://www.eisner-hubbard.com/westheimer/
>
>Labor watchdogs criticize NYU over tenure case
>Washington Square News
>A Workers Rights Board (WRB) panel agreed unanimously, in a hearing held
>Thursday night at the Judson Memorial Church, that New York University had
>inappropriately denied an assistant professor tenure and accused the
>University of union-busting and inhibiting academic freedom...
>http://www.nyunews.com/getstory.php?id=20002054
>
>A Promising Professor Backs a T.A. Union Drive and Is Rejected for Tenure
>Chronicle of Higher Education
>Joel Westheimer was a rising star at New York University. But after he
>backed graduate students in a union drive, he was denied tenure&
>http://www.eisner-hubbard.com/westheimer/ChronicleArticleNYU.htm
>
>NYU Professor Who Backed Union Denied Tenure
>The Villager
>Joel Westheimer, an N.Y.U. education professor, consistently received
>"exemplary" ratings on his annual reviews which also said that he was in
>line to receive tenure. He has a published a book which is used by
>education professors around the country&
>http://www.eisner-hubbard.com/westheimer/villager.article.htm
>
>NYU is Sued Over Denial of Tenure
>The New York Times
>Supporters of JOEL WESTHEIMER, an assistant professor who was recently
>denied tenure at New York University's Steinhardt School of Education,
>announced this week&
>http://www.eisner-hubbard.com/westheimer/NYT10-3-01.htm
>
>Tenure Ready for Trash bin, or at Least Change of Hands
>Washington Square News
>http://www.eisner-hubbard.com/westheimer/wsnews.htm
>
>Workers Board examines NYU labor conflicts
>Washington Square News
>New York Jobs With Justice, a pro-labor group, is sponsoring a hearing
>today at the Judson Memorial Church to examine labor conflicts at New York
>University, including a claim by Professor Joel Westheimer that he was
>fired because of his support for graduate student unionization...
>http://www.nyunews.com/getstory.php?id=20002040
>
>Tenure Under Fire: The Threat to Academic Freedom
>Gordon Lafer, University of Oregon
>If a 10 year-old was given the chronology of Westheimer's academic
>evaluations and asked to pick out the point at which things turned sour,
>he or she would zero in on the Labor Board testimony like the proverbial
>"one thing that doesn't belong" on Sesame Street&
>http://www.eisner-hubbard.com/westheimer/TenureUnderFire.htm
>
>AAUP Chapter Protests Tenure Denial at NYU
>Academe
>The New York University AAUP chapter joined labor and academic groups from
>across New York City on June 13 to protest the denial of tenure to
>education professor Joel Westheimer&
>http://www.eisner-hubbard.com/westheimer/academe.htm
>
>Graduate Student Unions Fight the Corporate University
>Dissent
>&Professor Joel Westheimer had won "exceptional merit" performance reviews
>in every year until his Labor Board testimony and was unanimously
>recommended for tenure by the members of his department and all eight
>outside reviewers, but was terminated by School of Education dean Ann
>Marcus-who herself testified against the union in the Labor Board
>hearings. Westheimer's firing-ostensibly on the grounds of insufficient
>scholarship, despite the fact that he was awarded NYU's internal award for
>excellence in scholarship-set off a firestorm of protest both at NYU and
>in the national education community&
>http://www.eisner-hubbard.com/westheimer/dissent.htm
>
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