Posted on 05/16/2003 3:44:29 PM PDT by dilpo
James D. Miller, assistant professor of economics, believes that the decision earlier this year to deny him tenure was based at least in part on his political beliefs. Other economics professors argue that the department remains committed to academic freedom. Recently students have circulated a petition in support of Miller.
Miller, who has taught economics at Smith for seven years, was reappointed in April 2000. Because his reappointment letter was "purely positive," Miller said he was shocked by the decision earlier this semester not to grant him tenure. By a vote of five to three with one abstention, members of the department recommended that the Committee on Tenure and Promotion deny Miller tenure. The Committee affirmed that recommendation, and the Grievance Committee has since decided to consider Miller's appeal.
The College's "Policy of Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure" states that decisions on reappointment, promotion and tenure are based on teaching, scholarship and service to the college.
"My belief is that I was denied tenure because I am a conservative Republican," Miller said.
Faculty members write letters to the Committee on Tenure and Promotion explaining their votes. Letters by faculty who voted against recommending tenure for Miller say that he has not done enough scholarship. Miller has written a book, Game Theory at Work, and six scholarly articles, one of which he wrote prior to his reappointment. Miller said he would understand this reason "If they said in April 2000 'Jim needs 10 [articles].'" Because the reappointment letter was positive and because "what has happened since then is that I basically came out of the closet as a conservative," he suspects the tenure decision was based on his political beliefs.
Two of the letters explaining no votes in Miller's case refer to criticisms he has made of academia, though neither gives this as a main reason for a no vote. One letter cites part of his book Game Theory at Work, and the other cites an article he wrote for National Review Online entitled "Campus Colors."
The latter states, "I would also refer the committee to a piece included in Jim's 'Journalistic Articles' packet: the Guest Comment on NRO entitled 'Campus Colors,' in which Jim says, among other things, that 'professors are mostly left wing,' that '(t)he large number of non-U.S. citizens in American colleges necessarily makes these schools less patriotic,' and that '(p)ractically the only way for a women's-studies professor to get a lifetime college appointment is for her to contribute to the literature on why America is racist, sexist, and homophobic.' I find it extremely disturbingly [sic] that this could be Jim's image of academia."
"The person wasn't disturbed that it was poorly written or illogically argued, but rather she was disturbed by the conservative political views expressed in the article," Miller said. "This article is criticizing colleges for being politically correct. ... This was used as a reason to fire me. I consider that an absolute violation of my academic freedom."
Others argue that academic freedom is alive and well in the economics department and at Smith.
"In my 23 years of employment at Smith College, I have witnessed the College at large, and the Department of Economics in particular, go out of its way to protect the academic freedom of all members of the Smith community. In our department, specifically, we have always had an unusually wide range of opinions on both economic methodology and political issues. We have 'agreed to disagree' for as long as I have been here, and we are able to work together because of this mutual respect and tolerance," said Karen A. Pfiefer, professor of economics.
"In my experience, academic freedom here means that each of us is free to argue for his/her methodological framework and to offer his/her political opinion on any topic inside or outside of the classroom, and that hiring, promotion, and tenure are judged on the basis of achievement in one's subfield of specialization, not on the basis of methodological or political differences. The other side of the coin is that no one of us may impose his/her view on colleagues, students, or anyone else, and that we are mutually obligated to honor the right of others to hold and express different views," Pfiefer said.
A report stemming from a spring 2002 "External Review of the Smith Economics Department" states, "The Economics Department should be proud that its members exhibit diversity in economic ideology and methodology. Students benefit from exposure to a range of opinions and approaches to the discipline."
Faculty up for tenure don't have "to pass some political litmus test - in fact, exactly the opposite," said Professor of Economics Andrew S. Zimbalist. At the same time, he believes it is important that an individual conducts an "open classroom" and doesn't allow his or her research to be colored or limited by political perspectives.
If a professor doesn't make it possible for students to raise their views or to disagree with the professor or "if his ideology so clouded his thinking that he wouldn't bring up counterexamples," that would be problematic, said Rachel M. Balsham '05. But while Miller "says a lot of things that are offensive - and I'm not even going to say that taken in context it is perfectly P.C., because it's not" - he does so to invite debate, she said. "I think that brings a lot to the class."
"It's pretty clear that he's conservative and controversial because of that. He doesn't fit in with the smith pedagogical norms at all," said Balsham.
She credits Miller with her decision to become an economics major. "I was so impressed with his approach to the material, his teaching. ... He makes things so clear in lecture that sometimes I don't take notes," Balsham said.
Jamey Borell '03 and Karin M. Kringen '03, who have each taken two classes with Miller, authored and circulated two petitions to President Christ and the Board of Trustees - one version for economics majors and those who have taken a class with Miller and one for other students - stating concern "that this decision will decrease the little political diversity that exists amongst the faculty at Smith College" and that "Professor Miller is a great professor and an asset to the Economics Department and the Smith College Community." Over 100 students signed the petitions.
"It's hard to point to a single professor besides Jim Miller that is an active conservative voice in the economics department," said Borell.
Politics aside, "We think he stands on his own merits," Kringen said. "He's just a really excellent teacher. He requires students to think critically."
They also point to his involvement in the school community. Miller has been involved in the Women for Financial Independence program, is the faculty advisor for the Smith College Republican Club and has agreed a number of times to participate in SGA-sponsored panels, they said.
As for why some turn to LUGgish behavior, I have no idea and I thought it was very strange when explained to me -- something about being "needy for intimacy." {shudder}
Maybe they just don't want to sit home alone on Saturday nights? ;)
Campus Colors And how to change them.Jun 19, 2003
Lesson Learned
This space often has pointed out that higher education's devotion to diversity is only skin-deep: Schools want faculty and students to look different but think alike. Recently Smith College reinforced that lesson for an assistant professor who has been denied tenure - in apparent part because he leans to the right.
In the past couple of years James Miller has, in his words, come "out of the closet as a conservative" by writing for National Review Online. His views irked at least one faculty member who voted against Miller. Wrote she:
I would also refer the committee to a piece included in Jim's "Journalistic Articles" packet: the Guest Comment on NRO entitled "Campus Colors," in which Jim says, among other things, that "professors are mostly left-wing," that "the large number of non-U.S. citizens in American colleges necessarily makes these schools less patriotic," and that "practically the only way for a women's-studies professor to get a lifetime college appointment is for her to contribute to the literature on why America is racist, sexist, and homophobic." I find it extremely disturbingly [sic] that this could be Jim's image of academia.
A Smith senior endorses some of Miller's views when he says, "It's hard to point to a single professor besides Jim Miller [who] is an active conservative voice in the economics department." Evidently some on the tenure committee think that view is mistaken, and want to prove it by purging an uncloseted moderate. A grievance committee at the school agreed Miller had been wronged. Still, any other Smith faculty conservatives want to say there aren't enough faculty conservatives?
RTD Editorial
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