Students draft letter, request response from Provost, Academic Dean regarding professor's dismissal
Ruhmkorff to address letter at community meeting
by Allegra Abramson | Llama Ledger Staff
Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: News
Seniors Dara Levy-Bernstein and Marvin Gonzalez held a meeting Sept. 15, in the Sprague (Formal) Lounge, in which some 35 students assembled to discuss "the dismissal of [sociology professor] Philip Mabry," and a letter they drafted about said dismissal, according to the e-mail Levy-Bernstein sent to the majority of students announcing the event.
Levy-Bernstein's e-mail explained that "for the last two weeks," she, Gonzalez, seniors Sabina Broberg, Laura Cheung, Asja Gleeson and junior Dylan Neely worked to draft a letter which they intended on presenting Provost Mary Marcy and Dean of Academic Affairs Sam Ruhmkorff.
"We think we can all agree that we lost a valuable resource when Philip didn't return to teach this semester," Levy-Bernstein's e-mail read. She attached the letter she and her peers wrote to the e-mail, asking students to read it and then sign hard copies circulating campus, creating a petition. They also created an online petition for students, alumni and interested parties off campus.
Mabry's contract was up for renewal next academic year, after his four-year contract ran out. "Both the faculty evaluation committee and divisional evaluation committee presented enthusiastic accounts of Philip's performance," read the letter. "Having no other documents to supplement them, this leaves us with the impression that the decision to fire Philip came from our Dean of Academic Affairs, Samuel Ruhmkorff, and Vice President and Provost, Mary Marcy."
Students discovered the details of Mabry's dismissal via online documents, accessible on the Simon's Rock server. The documents available for download included, among other items, Ruhmkorff's letter to Marcy, stating that he, "in disagreement with the Divisional and Faculty Evauluation committees, [was] recommending that Philip Mabry not receive a 10-year contract", Mabry's appeal document, a letter from Mabry to the members of the Faculty Senate and President Leon Botstein's letter to Marcy, confirming Ruhmkorff's decision to dismiss Mabry.
This information circulated the campus, until many students became aware of the situation, according to Gonzalez. "The seniors all kind of knew that Philip had been dismissed, but no one actually knew why, until one of his advisees started to distribute the website on which you can find the documents."
According to Mabry's letter to the Faculty Senate, he is the one who put the documents online. "Ryan [Carey, faculty in history], as Faculty Chair, has asked that I make my evaluation documents publicly available, and I am happy to do so."
Many students read Ruhmkorff's report, which is what spurred Gonzalez and peers to draft the letter and call for the meeting. "A big section of us read Sam's letter and were really offended by it, and we thought that in the vein of all the other letters that were a part of the process, it would be appropriate for students to have a letter of their own."
The letter articulated that its writers take issue with some of the explanations Ruhmkorff gives in his report. "We find Sam's judgment to be unsound because of his use of marginal evidence to justify his decision," it stated.
In particular, the letter highlighted that its writers felt that one of the reasons Ruhmkorff listed in his letter to Marcy, that the calculated grade point average of all of Mabry's advisees was particularly low, was "truly egregious," due to the "precedent it sets forth as to the nature of the advisor-advisee relationship ... it makes student performance responsible for the employment of their advisor."
The letter also claimed that "the only criterion on which Philip's scholarship was evaluated was on the basis of publication." The letter went on to assert that, "at a school where we as students are regularly asked to re-envision what it means to be intellectually engaged, [we are disappointed] the faculty is still being judged by such conservative standards."
Senior Gabriel Salgado will also present the letter to the Board of Overseers at their next meeting, according to Levy-Bernstein. "Gabe is the senior class representative to the Board, and he's supposed to take concerns we have to them. Obviously, this is a really big one."
The writers have two goals for the letter, Gonzalez said. "One is a symbolic gesture of having the administration recognize that they did something that is not beneficial to the student body, and something that is out of touch with the ideals of the student body. More of a material effect we can have, I think, is that we would like to see something put in place like a set appeals process."
Although Mabry did write an appeal letter, it "apparently didn't make a difference," said Levy-Bernstein.
Gonzalez said part of the issue he and his peers have is how they found out about Mabry's dismissal. "I don't think that we have any right in the hiring or firing process, but that doesn't mean they can't elucidate the actual happenings."
Similarly, the letter read, "The lack of disclosure pertaining to what occurred this summer is completely unacceptable. We have yet to receive any official notification of this considerable modification to faculty, much less an official statement from the administration as to why they chose to make this decision."
Students presented a copy of the letter to Ruhmkorff Tuesday, Sept. 16, and asked him to prepare a response for them at Wednesday's community meeting. They also have a copy for Marcy, but, according to Ruhmkorff's e-mail response to the letter writers, she is out of town.
"Sam e-mailed us back about an hour after we handed in the letter, which was impressively quick," Levy-Bernstein said.
"Mary and I look forward to discussing this issue with you, though she is out of town this week," Ruhmkorff's e-mail stated. "She and I will be available next week to discuss this with the community; we are currently reserving 3:30 next Wednesday, Sept. 24."
Ruhmkorff said he will discuss this issue as requested, though, at the Sept. 17 Community Council meeting, as well. "I have asked Community Council to put this on the agenda of tomorrow's community meeting. I will be there to discuss the evaluation process and answer questions."
"This is an important issue," Ruhmkorff said, "and I am glad we will have time to discuss it."
The writers are pleased Ruhmkorff has agreed to respond to the letter, Levy-Bernstein said, because now they can open up channels of discussion.
"What we wanted was some sort of dialogue to be opened up, and agreeing to come to a community meeting is a first step. This is a really positive beginning, and we're happy it wasn't a struggle to get someone to show up."
To read the students' letter to the community, click here.
As of Oct. 19, 2008, these documents are no longer publicly accessible.
Levy-Bernstein's e-mail explained that "for the last two weeks," she, Gonzalez, seniors Sabina Broberg, Laura Cheung, Asja Gleeson and junior Dylan Neely worked to draft a letter which they intended on presenting Provost Mary Marcy and Dean of Academic Affairs Sam Ruhmkorff.
"We think we can all agree that we lost a valuable resource when Philip didn't return to teach this semester," Levy-Bernstein's e-mail read. She attached the letter she and her peers wrote to the e-mail, asking students to read it and then sign hard copies circulating campus, creating a petition. They also created an online petition for students, alumni and interested parties off campus.
Mabry's contract was up for renewal next academic year, after his four-year contract ran out. "Both the faculty evaluation committee and divisional evaluation committee presented enthusiastic accounts of Philip's performance," read the letter. "Having no other documents to supplement them, this leaves us with the impression that the decision to fire Philip came from our Dean of Academic Affairs, Samuel Ruhmkorff, and Vice President and Provost, Mary Marcy."
Students discovered the details of Mabry's dismissal via online documents, accessible on the Simon's Rock server. The documents available for download included, among other items, Ruhmkorff's letter to Marcy, stating that he, "in disagreement with the Divisional and Faculty Evauluation committees, [was] recommending that Philip Mabry not receive a 10-year contract", Mabry's appeal document, a letter from Mabry to the members of the Faculty Senate and President Leon Botstein's letter to Marcy, confirming Ruhmkorff's decision to dismiss Mabry.
This information circulated the campus, until many students became aware of the situation, according to Gonzalez. "The seniors all kind of knew that Philip had been dismissed, but no one actually knew why, until one of his advisees started to distribute the website on which you can find the documents."
According to Mabry's letter to the Faculty Senate, he is the one who put the documents online. "Ryan [Carey, faculty in history], as Faculty Chair, has asked that I make my evaluation documents publicly available, and I am happy to do so."
Many students read Ruhmkorff's report, which is what spurred Gonzalez and peers to draft the letter and call for the meeting. "A big section of us read Sam's letter and were really offended by it, and we thought that in the vein of all the other letters that were a part of the process, it would be appropriate for students to have a letter of their own."
The letter articulated that its writers take issue with some of the explanations Ruhmkorff gives in his report. "We find Sam's judgment to be unsound because of his use of marginal evidence to justify his decision," it stated.
In particular, the letter highlighted that its writers felt that one of the reasons Ruhmkorff listed in his letter to Marcy, that the calculated grade point average of all of Mabry's advisees was particularly low, was "truly egregious," due to the "precedent it sets forth as to the nature of the advisor-advisee relationship ... it makes student performance responsible for the employment of their advisor."
The letter also claimed that "the only criterion on which Philip's scholarship was evaluated was on the basis of publication." The letter went on to assert that, "at a school where we as students are regularly asked to re-envision what it means to be intellectually engaged, [we are disappointed] the faculty is still being judged by such conservative standards."
Senior Gabriel Salgado will also present the letter to the Board of Overseers at their next meeting, according to Levy-Bernstein. "Gabe is the senior class representative to the Board, and he's supposed to take concerns we have to them. Obviously, this is a really big one."
The writers have two goals for the letter, Gonzalez said. "One is a symbolic gesture of having the administration recognize that they did something that is not beneficial to the student body, and something that is out of touch with the ideals of the student body. More of a material effect we can have, I think, is that we would like to see something put in place like a set appeals process."
Although Mabry did write an appeal letter, it "apparently didn't make a difference," said Levy-Bernstein.
Gonzalez said part of the issue he and his peers have is how they found out about Mabry's dismissal. "I don't think that we have any right in the hiring or firing process, but that doesn't mean they can't elucidate the actual happenings."
Similarly, the letter read, "The lack of disclosure pertaining to what occurred this summer is completely unacceptable. We have yet to receive any official notification of this considerable modification to faculty, much less an official statement from the administration as to why they chose to make this decision."
Students presented a copy of the letter to Ruhmkorff Tuesday, Sept. 16, and asked him to prepare a response for them at Wednesday's community meeting. They also have a copy for Marcy, but, according to Ruhmkorff's e-mail response to the letter writers, she is out of town.
"Sam e-mailed us back about an hour after we handed in the letter, which was impressively quick," Levy-Bernstein said.
"Mary and I look forward to discussing this issue with you, though she is out of town this week," Ruhmkorff's e-mail stated. "She and I will be available next week to discuss this with the community; we are currently reserving 3:30 next Wednesday, Sept. 24."
Ruhmkorff said he will discuss this issue as requested, though, at the Sept. 17 Community Council meeting, as well. "I have asked Community Council to put this on the agenda of tomorrow's community meeting. I will be there to discuss the evaluation process and answer questions."
"This is an important issue," Ruhmkorff said, "and I am glad we will have time to discuss it."
The writers are pleased Ruhmkorff has agreed to respond to the letter, Levy-Bernstein said, because now they can open up channels of discussion.
"What we wanted was some sort of dialogue to be opened up, and agreeing to come to a community meeting is a first step. This is a really positive beginning, and we're happy it wasn't a struggle to get someone to show up."
To read the students' letter to the community, click here.
As of Oct. 19, 2008, these documents are no longer publicly accessible.
Be the first to comment on this story