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Both sides of a disagreement over the denial of tenure for three University of Maine professors have agreed to extend the deadline for formal resolution. UMaine’s tenure process remains suspended as the result of a motion passed at a February faculty senate meeting requiring that administrators first prove the denials were fair.
Sue Sullivan, of the food science and human nutrition department, Sue Estler, of the education department, and one other employee have been denied tenure for the 2004-05 year according to minutes of the Feb. 25 meeting.
The resolution states that positive recommendations of the involved peer committees were unfairly overturned by the Provost’s Office, and worthy professors were denied tenure.
James McClymer, president of the local chapter of the faculty union, said that although professors have been denied tenure in the past, he recalls no other complaints that prompted such a large “uprising” among the faculty.
Each year, professors who hope to attain tenure are brought before a peer committee, which reviews the applicants’ progress and decides whether to renew their annual contract, thus allowing the applicants to continue their work in hopes of attaining tenure. Once a professor’s contract is renewed five times, he or she may apply for tenure in the sixth year. The professor is then reviewed once again by a peer committee, which may make a recommendation for tenure to the president and Provost’s Office. If approved, the recommendation is passed on to the board of trustees, which has the final say as to whether a professor is awarded tenure.
According to Article 15 of the Associated Faculties of the University of Maine contract, grievances can only be filed once the president’s decision has been announced to the candidate, and then must be filed with the first administrative level of rejection. The administrator then has 20 days to respond to the grievance. If a resolution is not met within that timeframe, an explanation of why a decision was not made is given and the grievance must be sent to the next level of administration.
“It is an ongoing thing and often we agree to extend each others’ time,” McClymer said. “We give them more time, they give us more time”
McClymer said he believes, however, that a decision will be made soon.
“The process is ongoing and I think all parties are dealing with the issue seriously and constructively. I hope for a resolution in early May,” he said.
McClymer said once a resolution is reached, several outcomes could result.
“The administration could decide that they made an error and they now want to recommend the people for tenure. Then it would go to the board of trustees where they would make the ultimate decision,” he said. The administration could also decide no error was made and the decision not to award tenure would stand, McClymer said.
“There may be another option where they agree there has been some error and they work out an agreement with the union to do something different,” McClymer said “In some cases it could be that the person will be re-evaluated next year. The process seems to be going through in an honest manner, but I don’t know what the outcome is going to be.”
Estler said she is appreciative of the support system at UMaine and is still holding out for a positive outcome
“I am extremely grateful, actually awestruck, for the depth and breadth of support across the campus for each of us and the quality of our work,” Estler said. “Students, the Faculty Senate, AFUM, colleagues and administrators have made the University of Maine feel like a genuine community. I am hopeful for a fair and positive outcome.”
