Support Petition for Norman Finkelstein's Tenure
Written by Victor Lang, Students for Finkelstein Wednesday, 13 June 2007
DePaul Students Protest for Academic Freedom
Continuing an uphill battle with the DePaul University administration, student and community groups will gather at 55 E. Jackson (Jackson and Wabash) tomorrow 13 June 2007 at 11 a.m. for a rally, in a plan to escalate pressure on the nation's largest Catholic university. The protest is in support of academic freedom, as well as tenure for Professors Norman Finkelstein and Mehrene Larudee. Students have been sitting in the executive offices of DePaul President Fr. Dennis Holtschneider since Monday morning at 9:00 a.m.
Upset over DePaul's denial of tenure to Professors Finkelstein and Larudee, and after a meeting between 30 student leaders and Fr. Holtschneider, students have taken action to defend academic freedom, under attack by the university administration. While the students presented Fr. Holtschneider with a petition of over 700 signatures calling for the reversal of the decision and questioned the legitimacy of the university's process, the DePaul President flatly rejected their demands and insisted that he would not reevaluate his position. Up until this point, the university has accommodated the sit-in, though informed the students that they must abandon by 5:00 p.m. tomorrow. The students are determined to hold their ground.
The faculty and students will be meeting tomorrow to discuss the appeals process and future steps. The organizations that have called for this protest include DePaul student organizations Students for Justice in Palestine, DePaul Students Against the War, Society for International Affairs, Model United Nations, Campaign to End the Death Penalty, as well as outside groups Palestine Solidarity Committee, Council on American Islamic Relations, and International Socialist Organization.
DePaul Students Sit-In for Academic Freedom
Upset over DePaul University's denial of tenure to Professors Norman Finkelstein, and Mehrene Larudee [the sister of the ISM's Paul Larudee], and after a meeting between 30 student leaders and DePaul President Fr. Dennis Holtschneider at his office, students have taken action to defend academic freedom which is under attack at the nation's largest Catholic institution.
After an unsuccessful meeting where their demands were ignored by the administration, DePaul students are continuing their sit-in overnight and through this week at the President's office and plan to escalate action among the student body. Student leaders called for Fr. Holtschneider to grant the professors tenure. They presented him with a petition of over 700 signatures calling for a reversal of the decision, and engaged in a heated discussion on the legitimacy of the university's decision.
The decision made at the secretive University-level overturned the tenure decisions made at the Departmental and College-levels, which approved Finkelstein's position by votes of 9-3 and 5-0, respectively. Students were surprised by Larudee's rejection as she was unanimously approved by both the Departmental and University level tenure committees. The student leaders cite Finkelstein and Larudee's positive peer reviewed scholarship and flaws in the tenure process as reasons why they should receive tenure.
Denial of tenure to the professors means their employment at DePaul will be terminated. Finkelstein, son of holocaust survivors and outspoken critic of oppressive Israeli policy in Palestine, has come under attack from detractors like Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, who seeks to silence critics of Israel and has successfully interfered in internal DePaul tenure processes. Despite being in the midst of their hectic finals-week and upcoming graduation, student leaders are currently sacrificing their time by occupying the Executive Offices of DePaul University indefinitely until their demands for the tenure of Professors Finkelstein and Larudee are met.
SUPPORT PROFESSOR NORMAN FINKELSTEIN!
As students of DePaul University, we are insisting that Professor Finkelstein have a fair tenure process. We are confident that a fair process will result in tenure being granted. We are circulating this petition (http://www.finkelgate.com/signature.php) to present to DePaul University's president, Rev. Holtschneider.
We have created this site to inform DePaul students and the broader community about the tenure process and the progress being made in Finkelstein's application. Please sign the petition and keep checking this website. If you would like to write a letter, please email it to us at petition at finkelgate.com, so that we can include it in our submission to President Holtschneider.
Who is Prof. Norman Finkelstein and what is the tenure process?
Dr. Norman Finkelstein, professor of Political Science at DePaul University, has published five books; he travels around the world to appear at events that vary from scholarly lectures to speeches for Palestinian justice groups; and his students regularly give him rave reviews as a teacher. The dean of DePaul's College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at DePaul has even referred to Prof. Finkelstein's classroom as "a 'transformative' experience."
A tenure decision is based upon teaching, scholarship, and service, in decreasing order of importance. When Dr. Finkelstein applied for tenure this year, given all of these strengths, it should have been an easy ride. The process so far has been in his favor, but as the decision nears the top, hurdles have been uncovered. The decision of the Political Science Department was 9-3, supporting his tenure. The College Personnel Committee, of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, voted unanimously (5-0) in his favor. In the past, the dean has always confirmed a unanimous decision. However, this time, Dean Chuck Suchar filed a report against his application for tenure. If tenure is not granted, the professor is dismissed from the University after a one-year grace period. In other words, Dean Suchar recommended that the University fire Norman Finkelstein. Professor Finkelstein's teaching is extraordinary and unassailable, as mentioned above. Suchar claims that the "tone and substance of his scholarshipŠ is inconsistent with DePaul's Vincentian values, especially personalismŠ as well as our commitment to diversity." The basis of his argument is Professor Finkelstein's personal criticism of those who disagree with him. The "reputable" scholars in his field regularly call him the worst of names and his career has been under attack since it began. Suchar appears to be expecting Finkelstein to hold his tongue and take what he is given. He discards Professor Finkelstein's service as "unimpressive." The Personnel Committee considered his active public speaking schedule a service to the University. Norman Finkelstein is a public intellectual with name recognition around the world, taking seriously the obligation to speak out on behalf of those who cannot speak. What the dean's report suggests is that he just doesn't like what Finkelstein has to say. There are three decisions left. The University Board on Tenure & Promotion, the Provost of the University, and the President, Rev. Holtschneider.
Source: Finkelgate.com: http://www.finkelgate.com/