Saturday, November 18, 2006
YOUNGSTOWN -- A group of Youngstown State University students made their voices heard in a protest over the denial of tenure for an assistant professor, but their protest apparently won't change anything.
About 50 students, most of them believed to be criminal justice majors, gathered at The Rock outside Kilcawley Center at noon Friday in support of Dr. Eric See, assistant professor of criminal justice, who learned recently that he has been denied tenure.
The students, some wearing T-shirts and carrying signs with messages supporting See, called on the administration, particularly President David C. Sweet, to intervene in the case.
See, one of only two faculty members in the criminal justice department to have a doctorate in criminal justice or criminology, was recommended for tenure by his department peers and department chairman, but the dean of the College of Health and Human Services opposed granting tenure and the provost agreed.
It's Sweet's decision
The final decision is the president's.
Sweet said Friday that the students have a right to express their opinion but that doesn't change the tenure process found in the faculty union contract.
See has a right to appeal the denial and has done so, Sweet said. He will have an opportunity to present his case to a three-member panel (one member appointed by the faculty union and one by the administration with the third named by the two appointees).
The panel will then make a recommendation to Sweet, who still has the final decision.
See said the appeal process will likely go on until March.
With denial of tenure, See will be fired at the end of this school year.