Posted on 05/17/2007 12:23:30 PM PDT by GodGunsGuts
Intelligent Design Scientist Denied Tenure Despite Exceeding Standard Requirements
By: Staff Discovery Institute May 14, 2007
Ames, IA – Astronomer and professor Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez, co-author of The Privileged Planet and an advocate of the scientific theory of intelligent design, has been denied tenure by Iowa State University even though he has met or exceeded every required standard for tenure approval.
“The denial of tenure to Dr. Gonzalez is blatant discrimination and violates both academic freedom and free speech,” said Dr. John G. West, associate director of Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture. Dr. Gonzalez is a senior fellow at the Institute. “The denial of tenure is all the more incredible given the fact that Dr. Gonzalez exceeds by 350% the number of peer-reviewed journal publications required by his department to meet its standard of excellence in research.”
Dr. Gonzalez has an impressive list of achievements including: 68 peer-reviewed scientific articles;
a college-level astronomy textbook published by Cambridge University Press;
spearheading research that led to the discovery of 2 new planets;
being asked to serve as a referee for a number of leading scientific publications.
Dr. Gonzalez’s research has been featured in Science, Nature, and on the cover of Scientific American.
“Given his outstanding record, it’s clearly preposterous to claim that Dr. Gonzalez is somehow deficient as a scientist. If anything, the problem is likely that he is too good. Darwinist professors can’t stand the thought of allowing a gifted scientist who supports intelligent design into their ranks. This is despite the fact that Gonzalez’s work focuses on design in cosmology, and does not even address biological evolution.”
According to West, the denial of tenure to Gonzalez is part of a growing pattern of discrimination against scientists who challenge Darwinism or support intelligent design: Evolutionary biologist Richard Sternberg was harassed and then demoted by the Smithsonian after approving for publication an article supportive of intelligent design in a peer-reviewed biology journal.
Biologist Caroline Crocker was removed from teaching evolution at George Mason University after mentioning intelligent design, and subsequently her contract was not renewed.
Chemistry professor Nancy Bryson lost her job at the Mississippi University for Women after she gave a lecture on scientific criticisms of chemical and biological evolution to a group of honors students.
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Also, see reply #2 for a link for background info. on Dr. Gonzalez--GGG
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To: geoffroy@iastate.edu Subject: Guillermo Gonzalez Tenure Ruling
President Gregory L. Geoffroy,
I am disappointed at the University's denial of Guillermo Gonzalez tenure application. Despite the fact that Dr. Gonzalez has 68 peer-reviewed publications, he seems to be denied tenure on the basis of viewpoint discrimination. Although the University's mission statement says, "In carrying out its mission, Iowa State will increase and support diversity in the University community. Diversity enlivens the exchange of ideas, broadens scholarship, and prepares students for lifelong, productive participation in society.", it seems that this diversity does not apply to those who promote intelligent design theory.
Please do the right thing and approve Guillermo Gonzalez tenure application.
Sincerely,
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Thank you for writing to President Geoffroy about the matter involving Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez. Pres. Geoffroy has asked me to respond on his behalf because he is in the process of considering Dr. Gonzalez's appeal of the tenure decision, and it is not appropriate to comment until the appeal decision is finalized. For your information, I have outlined below the facts related to this matter.
Like most research universities, Iowa State has an extensive process of evaluating faculty for tenure. The procedure is prescribed in the Faculty Handbook (http://www.provost.iastate.edu/faculty/handbook/faculty_handbook/) and in the college and department organizational documents. The evaluation is based on the candidate's record of teaching, service and scholarly research during the time of the candidate's appointment at Iowa State, using standards and expectations set by the candidate's tenured faculty colleagues in his/her academic department. The review begins in the candidate's academic department, where a recommendation on tenure and promotion is generated by a vote of the tenured faculty. The process includes consideration of recommendations of reputable persons in the same area of study, but who are not at Iowa State. That is progressively followed by reviews by the department chair, a college-level committee, the dean of the college, and the executive vice president and provost, all of whom generate recommendations for the next level of review. The candidate's dossier and all of the recommendations are then presented to the university president, who makes a final decision. In the case of a final negative decision, the candidate has the right of appeal, using a process that is prescribed in the Faculty Handbook.
The tenure decision is one of the most important decisions that a university makes, because it means a lifetime appointment for the individual being considered, and before granting tenure, faculty and university leaders must be convinced of the candidate's promise of excellence in his/her academic discipline that will last for the duration of his/her academic career. It is a very high standard of excellence and achievement, and there are many good researchers, and good people, who fail to satisfy the demands of earning tenure.
As an assistant professor of physics and astronomy, Dr. Gonzalez was evaluated for tenure and promotion to associate professor by the tenured faculty in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. That evaluation was based on an assessment of the excellence of his teaching, service, scholarly research publications and research funding in astronomy, using standards and expectations set by the faculty in the department. The consensus of the tenured department faculty, the department chair, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the executive vice president and provost was that tenure should not be granted. On the basis of those recommendations against granting tenure and promotion at every prior level of review and the president's own review of the record, President Geoffroy notified Dr. Gonzalez in April that he would not be granted tenure and promotion to associate professor.
On May 9, Dr. Gonzalez, following university procedure, submitted to the president an appeal of the final tenure decision, and that appeal is now being considered with a decision expected to be rendered by June 6, 2007.
For more information regarding this tenure case, please follow this link:
http://www.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2007/may/tenureFAQ.shtml
John McCarroll
Executive Director
Office of University Relations
Here is a link to Dr. Gonzalez published, peer reviewed papers:
http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/filesDB-download.php?command=download&id=1362
Here is some background info. on Dr. Gonzalez:
All who do not toe the line will be punished.
The Discovery Institute is more interested in propogating conspiracy theories than they are in researcing and putting forth evidence for the "theory" of intelligent design.
How many threads on this so far?
As long as universities indulge in the humanities, they really can't complain about ID.
==The Discovery Institute is more interested in propogating conspiracy theories than they are in researcing and putting forth evidence for the “theory” of intelligent design.
If you spent less time eating buffalo wings, and more time doing careful research, you would find yourself eating every one of your words. But then you would like that wouldn’t you.
Not enough to make people care.
==How many threads on this so far?
I count three in two different forums. What’s wrong, can’t count that high?
Well, the best outcome is to defund politicized sciences, not to subsidize ID.
Agreed. That’s why the Church of Darwin need to be defunded immediately.
==This is the fourth time you have posted this story in six days, with no new developments.
Actually, now that I think about, there are plenty of angles I have neglected on this story. It’s time I started posting how the Creationists are reacting. Thanks for the tip.
I remember taking several courses in college called "Political Science". All I remember about it was that it was a brainwashing course for socialism. But that didn't stop anyone from calling it "Science".
Discovery Institute members and associates are the ones pitching a fit and they push ID, not young earth creationism or Creation Science.
Creationists, for the most part, are reacting with a shrug of indifference. Except for one fellow on another thread. He was motivated to write a letter in support of Dr.Gonzalez to the President of Iowa State;..and called the school the University of Iowa in the first sentence.
==and called the school the University of Iowa in the first sentence.
Good. I hope it pissed them off.
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