Posted on 05/13/2007 11:07:52 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
Proponent of intelligent design denied tenure by ISU
By: William Dillon
05/12/2007
Guillermo Gonzalez, an assistant professor of astronomy and physics who argues for the theory of intelligent design, was denied tenure this semester by Iowa State University.
"I was surprised to hear that my tenure was denied at any level, but I was disappointed that the president at the end denied me," Gonzalez said during a telephone interview with The Tribune Friday.
Gonzalez filed an appeal with ISU President Greg Geoffroy on Tuesday, May 8. Geoffroy has 20 days to respond.
While his work is heralded as "path-breaking" by supporters of intelligent design as a way of offering a new theory supporting design in the universe, Gonzalez has come under criticism by the mainstream science community for incorporating the theory of intelligent design into his work.
Opponents maintain that proving intelligent causes or agents is not science but rather the study of theology and philosophy. Some also have accused Gonzalez, an openly non-denominational Protestant, of thrusting religion into science.
In the summer of 2005, three faculty members at ISU drafted a statement against the use of intelligent design in science. One of those authors, Hector Avalos, told The Tribune at the time he was concerned the growing prominence of Gonzalez's work was beginning to market ISU as an "intelligent design school."
The statement collected signatures of support from more than 120 ISU faculty members before similar statements surfaced at the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa.
According to ISU's policy on promotion and tenure, evaluation is based "primarily on evidence of scholarship in the faculty member's teaching, research/creative activities, and/or extension/professional practice."
In addition to that criteria, Gonzalez's department of astronomy and physics sets a benchmark for tenure candidates to author at least 15 peer-reviewed journal articles of quality. Gonzalez said he submitted 68, of which 25 have been written since he arrived at ISU in 2001.
"I believe that I fully met the requirements for tenure at ISU," he said.
Gonzalez said he would rather not comment on why he believes he was denied tenure.
On Friday, Geoffroy declined comment on why Gonzalez was denied tenure.
"Since an appeal is on my desk that I will have to pass judgment on, it is not appropriate for me to offer any comment," he wrote in an e-mail to The Tribune.
In addition to his research and teaching at ISU, Gonzalez is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, a conservative Seattle think tank leading the intelligent design movement.
John G. West, associate director of the Center for Science and Culture at the institute, said he sees this as a clear case of "ideological discrimination" by ISU against Gonzalez. He said he thinks the statement against intelligent design drafted at ISU played a large part in the eventual denial of Gonzalez's tenure.
"What happens to the lone faculty member who doesn't agree and happens to be untenured," he asked. "That is practically, with a wink and a nod, a call to deny him tenure."
Faculty members typically leave a university if they are denied tenure.
ISU considered 66 faculty cases for promotion and tenure during the past academic year. Only three, including Gonzalez, were denied tenure.
William Dillon can be reached at 232-2161, Ext. 361, or William.Dillon@amestrib.com.
If what is in Universities is the ‘best and brightest’, it is a sad day for America. Certainly, inability to get tenure says NOTHING about the worthiness of the individual to receive it. After all, isn’t Ward Churchill among those who have attained tenure???
No. This is more about the brainwash that will not allow competing theories to evolution to be taught at any time any where in any public institution. So much for the free exchange of ideas.
It doesn't matter whether they discover anything. The point is Dr. Gonzalez more than exceeded his department’s requirements for tenure (publishing four times as many peer reviewed papers as is required) and he has not taught ID in the classroom. Iowa State is clearly punishing Gonzalez for his personal beliefs. So in effect, the university, as an extension of the state, is denying tenure to a professor for refusing to embrace philosophical materialism. This is a clear violation of Dr. Gonzalez’ First Amendment rights, and they must be made to pay for it...big time.
See post #13.
Call me crazy but I think that the Department of Astronomy and Physics are more qualified to decide who gets tenure at the university than a you or I.
Call me crazy but I think that the Department of Astronomy and Physics are more qualified to decide who gets tenure at the university than a you or I.
Here’s his web page.
http://www.physics.iastate.edu/web/researchgroups/astronomy/faculty-and-staff/gonzalez
It doesn’t give any detailed bibliography, but it does seem to confirm that he has published more than enough research to qualify for tenure:
“Research Interests: Dr. Gonzalez is primarily interested in studying the late stages of stellar evolution through the use of spectroscopic observations. Recent work includes spectroscopic abundance analysis of post-AGB supergiants and RV Tau variables. He has also undertaken a study of the parent stars of the recently discovered extra-solar planetary systems. The results indicate that these stars have anomalous chemical abundances, suggesting some sort of unusual formation history.”
Notice that no mention is made of publications in the area of intelligent design. He has an interest in it, but he also does plenty of research in ASTRONOMY, which is his job.
In other words he was not denied tenure for doing bogus or insufficient research; he was denied tenure because he offends their delicate Darwinist sensibilities.
>>Apart from that, they have no grounds to deny him tenure because they disagree on a philosophical matter.<<
Its really more a scientific matter and a matter of reputation. He has a close association with an institute with a terrible reputation in science circles.
But again, there is always recourse when denied tenure because of scientific ideas: Either start a company based on your theories or devise a prediction based on your theory that no other theory would predict. Lots of science academics have been vindicated one of these ways.
You didn’t consider his memberships. He’s active in the Discovery Institute. I suspect that’s what really did him in.
Yes, it is. eg: Ward Churchill
Sorry about the double posting to you. I’m doing two things at once and didn’t realize you wrote both posts I was responding to.
Professors are denied tenure daily; is it coincidental or causal?
(Actually the same way I feel about fossil fuels and Global Warming)
>>Tenure is not an Entitlement Program.
Churchill is certainly the dark side of academia.
Actually, the crux of the article is that he HAS incorporated it into his intellectual work at the University.
Gonzalez has come under criticism by the mainstream science community for incorporating the theory of intelligent design into his work.
Actually, I do enjoy a macro-view of Intelligent Design in my personal philosophy -- but I do it by myself, where no one can see me.
However, in this country you are free to build you own University, establish a Department of Astronomy and grant tenure to Dr. Gonzalez.
If you wish to do this I will not question your decision nor will I now question the decision of Iowa State.
It doesn't matter whether they discover anything.
It does matter that they don't discover anything--it shows they are a PR outfit, not a scientific organization. And it does matter that Dr. Gonzalez is a Senior Fellow there.
Have you read the Discovery Institute's Wedge Document?
That is as anti-science a document as you are likely to find. Two passages read as follows:
We are building on this momentum, broadening the wedge with a positive scientific alternative to materialistic scientific theories, which has come to be called the theory of intelligent design (ID). Design theory promises to reverse the stifling dominance of the materialist worldview, and to replace it with a science consonant with Christian and theistic convictions.Sorry, this is not science. This is apologetics (defense of religion).Governing Goals
- To defeat scientific materialism and its destructive moral, cultural and political legacies.
- To replace materialistic explanations with the theistic understanding that nature and hurnan beings are created by God.
>>I am not sure what a professor at Colorado has anything to do with a professor at Iowa State being granted tenure.<<
I can see a connection with Churchill - he is a textbook case of why you should be careful who gets tenure - after that you are stuck with them, even if they write essays on how the people in Trade Center were the guilty ones on 9/11.
3 hurrahs for your comment—and I heartily agree with Sir ACD.
Perhaps Iowa State in simply being careful.
Many are the Eggheads that walk the Halls of Higher Learning, they become Administrators... mostly godless. What do we expect of State Universities? All students who pass through their doors should heed this:
WARNING! BEWARE OF GODLESS EGGHEADS! THEY MAKE YOU STUPID!
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