THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 23, 1995 TAG: 9504230024
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY NANCY YOUSSEF, CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
The University of Virginia wants to keep closer tabs on tenured faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences, but some professors are grousing about the idea.
Tenured professors are reviewed annually by department chairmen.
In addition to the annual review, Raymond J. Nelson, the dean of the college, has proposed that faculty committees, including professors outside their departments, review the tenured professors' work every six years.
``Each of us has a stake in what others are doing,'' Assistant College Dean Jamie Ferreira said at a Faculty Senate meeting last month.
``What we found is that chairs have expressed some difficulty in dealing with issues'' that arise during the reviews of colleagues by the chairmen, Ferreira said.
A review by a committee including professors outside the departments might be more objective, administrators said.
But Edgar O. Olsen, the chairman of the economics department, objected to the proposal.
``It's not entirely clear what the purpose is,'' Olsen said.
``It is really kind of a stretch for people outside the department to evaluate the department.''
Olsen added that professors are worried the reviews would take time away from teaching and research.
The proposal is part of a nationwide push to scrutinize tenured professors more closely. Last fall, Old Dominion University began annual reviews of tenured faculty members.
Robert L. Ake, the chairman of ODU's Faculty Senate, said Thursday that the process is costing administrators and professors time and money.
``The president felt it would weed out inefficient faculty,'' Ake said.
``I'm not sure that it has done that. I think it's been too short of a time to assess it.''
At U.Va., Nelson said that if the university doesn't review its tenured professors more carefully, the state will.
``You don't want those decisions to be made in Richmond,'' he said.
``If we don't do this satisfactorily, someone else will.''
But history chairman Melvyn P. Leffler said at the Faculty Senate meeting, ``I think it creates an elaborate and unnecessary process and will be less effective.''
The proposal still must be reviewed formally by the Faculty Senate and win the approval of U.Va. President John T. Casteen III.
U.Va. administrators said that professors who don't get favorable reviews under the new system could be fired, but they have not yet provided details of the process.
The proposal is part of a ``self-study'' that U.Va. is conducting to retain its accreditation. by CNB