Dear Editor:

Imagine the following scenario: SIUC decides to create a nationally recognized program, and after an extremely competitive search, chooses 120 students from some of the top high schools in the country.’

To remain in the program, these students must create records of distinguished accomplishment and develop national reputations in their chosen areas of study.

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Now suppose just one of these distinguished students writes a letter to a Chair in the College of Science describing a situation that she or he feels represents a serious problem with a professor who teaches a class in this program.’

Suppose the student indicates there is concrete evidence of ongoing problems in the program and merely requests a meeting with the Chair to present the evidence and discuss the problem.’ ‘

Suppose the response of the professor, when learning of the situation, is to dismiss the situation as ‘engineered,’ while claiming the Chair ‘repudiates’ the concerns of this student.’

What would the upper administration of SIUC feel about the response to this situation?

Instead, suppose forty of these distinguished students had come forward indicating concrete evidence of serious problems, and again, merely requesting a meeting with the Chair.’

Suppose again, the response of the professor is to dismiss the situation as ‘engineered,’ while claiming the Chair ‘repudiates’ the concerns of these students.’

What, then, would the upper administration of SIUC think?

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The hypothetical situation described above is precisely analogous to what is currently occurring in the College of Science at SIUC.’

Forty continuing faculty members voted in agreement on a ‘no confidence’ resolution concerning the current dean (reported by the DE, 9/9/09).’

The three departments involved merely requested a joint departmental meeting with the interim provost to discuss the problems.’ The response has been for the dean to accuse us of ‘engineering’ the vote, and to claim the provost and chancellor has ‘repudiated’ our concerns.

The question remains:’ What does the upper administration of SIUC think?

Greg Budzban

Professor, Mathematics

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