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Mental Health and the Professoriate During the Pandemic
James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | August 24, 2020 | Lee Jones

Posted on 08/24/2020 4:25:09 AM PDT by karpov

Remember the stereotype of the lazy college professor living an almost stress-free life while enjoying tenure, virtually a sinecure, often supported by taxpayer dollars? Tomes and articles identifying examples of this professor abound. Along with this job protection comes the opportunity to impose political correctness with impunity.

Try telling that story to true contrarians.

For an example, consider Michael Jay Shively, who taught biology for 26 years at Utah Valley University. Shively, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports, “was rigorous” and “took pride in the anatomy courses he built and the hard work they required.”

On March 25, 2019, Shively received a one-page letter from his university president and was quickly suspended and escorted from campus. The letter contained allegations related to the difficulty of Shively’s courses and to maltreatment of Shively’s colleagues. In the months that followed, the university investigated while Shively experienced what his wife called “a spiraling decline.” Before the investigation concluded, Shively took his own life.

The courts will have to sort out any responsibility Utah Valley University may bear for Shively’s suicide, even as debate goes on over how, as Chronicle reporter Emma Pettit acknowledges, “experts stress that suicide never has a single cause.” She also wonders what this case says about due process, academic freedom, and “why Shively’s classroom practices were under scrutiny?”

Michael Adams, who taught at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington for 27 years, was a contrarian for reasons almost entirely related to partisan politics and religious conservatism. More than a decade ago, UNCW denied Adams promotion to full professor, leading to a lawsuit that cost the university hundreds of thousands of dollars and culminated when Adams won his case against the school. UNCW quickly settled, awarding Adams the promotion and seven years of back pay.

(Excerpt) Read more at jamesgmartin.center ...


TOPICS: Education; Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: college; freespeech; suicide

1 posted on 08/24/2020 4:25:09 AM PDT by karpov
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To: karpov

Hell hath no fury like a liberal dissented from.


2 posted on 08/24/2020 4:34:47 AM PDT by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: karpov

Defund the universities.


3 posted on 08/24/2020 5:10:28 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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