TWO CLASSES OF CITIZENS

            The issue is quite simple: President Jenkins has imposed post-tenure review (PM-35) upon LSU faculty members over the objections of the Faculty Senate.  However, there is no process in PM-35 to evaluate tenured administrators.  Basically, Department Heads, Deans, and other administrators are immune from tenure removal.

            The whole PM-35 tenure removal process begins with the Department Head or Chair.  It is unlikely that a Department Head will start the process of tenure removal for him or herself or their Dean or a higher administrator. We should not remove tenure by the post-tenure review process from only non-administrative faculty.

             Please allow me to give some examples at LSU that have been brought to my attention. 

1. A Department Head was hired without a faculty vote for hiring, for tenure or for rank. This same Department Head was given an approximately $2 million chair without any faculty vote.
2. Evaluation results of Deans are sometimes not disclosed to their faculty.
3. Some Department Heads are not evaluated by their faculty.
4. Faculty members were given million dollar chairs and tenure after a nearly unanimous negative vote of tenured faculty members.
5. One Dean told a faculty member that the tenured faculty in one department could not be trusted so he/she had to circumvent the system.
6. University administrators have ignored written employment contracts.
7. Dean gave himself/herself an endowed chair without a nationwide search.
8. Administrators can refuse to testify before the faculty grievance committee.

Essentially, administrators can do almost anything they wish because of our institutional structure.  There is a $5 million insurance policy that protects administrators who are sued.  Their lawyer's fees are paid by the STATE.  LSU then hires downtown, non-university lawyers to handle the lawsuits.  These outside lawyers have no reason to compromise because they collect more fees the longer the lawsuits are open.  LSU has no on-campus risk management system. 

ADMINISTRATORS ARE NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

THERE IS NO MECHANISM TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.

            The major problem with PM-35 is a huge loophole.  The current dismissal for cause policy, PS-104, requires the university to show that a faculty member is unfit to hold tenure.  PM-35 turns it around and requires the faculty member to show that he or she is fit to hold tenure.  PM-35 is a clear deviation from the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure.  Tenure is a means to certain ends; specifically the freedom of teaching and research, and just as importantly - a sufficient degree of economic security to make the profession attractive to men and women of ability. 

Under the PM-35 rules, a faculty member is guilty as charged by the

Department Head and must prove himself or herself innocent.  We how have a two-tiered, two-class of citizens tenure process at LSU.  There must be a system to evaluate and remove administrators based upon faculty input.

Dr. Ron Snider

Professor & Veterinary Pathologist

Sch. Vet. Med., Dept. Vet. Path.

LSU, S. Stadium Road

Baton Rouge, LA  70803

TEL:225-346-3227

FAX:225-346-3226

rsnider@mail.vetmed.lsu.edu