A couple of years back, the University of Colorado forged a nonbinding agreement with legislators, promising to protect and nurture ideological diversity on campus.
In fact, it was only last month that CU president Hank Brown expressed his apprehension to regents about the lack of movement on this front.
Well, if Brown is serious about this endeavor, he should make it a priority to investigate the firing of social conservative CU instructor Phil Mitchell - and not for the reasons you may suspect.
Mitchell, whose plight I first wrote about two years ago, believes that publicity surrounding CU's initial attempt to fire him saved his job.
But now, CU is giving Mitchell the boot after more than 20 years on the job in Boulder. And the university isn't backing down.
Mitchell, a father of nine, is a sharp, pleasant and generous man.
It's hard not to like him.
He's also a devout Christian who alleges that CU's actions are a transparent case of political and religious discrimination against a social conservative.
For a school still in the process of rehabilitating a somewhat rickety image, these charges should be taken seriously.
Sure, if CU featured more political flavors on the faculty, few would have any reason to wonder why administrators fired one of the few right-wing faculty members on campus.
Then again, Mitchell could very easily hold social conservative values, be a wonderful person and deserve to be let go.
So conservatives should resist the lure of crusading (excuse the term) - even if their underlying point regarding the ideologically one-sidedness of university facilities remains true.
Mitchell taught in the Sewall Academic Program, a seminar-style program, where the charge is "to promote critical thinking within the framework of a liberal arts curriculum that emphasizes the study of the American West."
From all indications, his students believe Mitchell is the cat's meow.
Between 2002 and 2005, Mitchell claims, there were around 190
freshman-level classes at CU, with 14 receiving an A+ rating from students. Mitchell says he was the recipient of 11 of those. Last spring, students gave him nearly all A's.
Mitchell, who holds a doctorate in American social history from CU and began teaching history here in 1984, also won the SOAR Award for teacher of the year in 1998.
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The university claims that Mitchell did not meet fundamental standards on his recent faculty evaluations. And because Mitchell is not tenured, his at-will status means the university can say ciao without much of a fuss.
Mitchell argues that he's been set up by antagonistic liberal colleagues.
"There has been absolutely no due process," Mitchell explains. "I have had my reputation destroyed without any chance to defend myself. ... Instructors have no academic freedom here. Tenured faculty deny others what they hold tenaciously for themselves."
Actually, according to the AAUP, Prof. Mitchell should have been granted tenure 13 years ago. Colorado's refusal to do so is a very clear violation of AAUP standards that have been "on the books" since 1940.
After the expiration of a probationary period, teachers or investigators should have permanent or continuous tenure, and their service should be terminated only for adequate cause, except in the case of retirement for age, or under extraordinary circumstances because of financial exigencies.
...
1. The precise terms and conditions of every appointment should be stated in writing and be in the possession of both institution and teacher before the appointment is consummated.
2. Beginning with appointment to the rank of full-time instructor or a higher rank,[5] the probationary period should not exceed seven years, including within this period full-time service in all institutions of higher education; but subject to the proviso that when, after a term of probationary service of more than three years in one or more institutions, a teacher is called to another institution, it may be agreed in writing that the new appointment is for a probationary period of not more than four years, even though thereby the person’s total probationary period in the academic profession is extended beyond the normal maximum of seven years.[6] Notice should be given at least one year prior to the expiration of the probationary period if the teacher is not to be continued in service after the expiration of that period.[7]
The AAUP has placed other institutions on the Academic Freedom Censure list for the denial of tenure at an institution that offered tenure to no one (Tiffin University), so this certainly qualifies. In fact this is even more egregious given the length of time Colorado had employed Prof. Mitchell (20 years.) That being said, I would be shocked to see the AAUP even investigate the matter, as they are not exactly against viewpoint discrimination as long as the viewpoint being discriminated against is conservative.
On the other hand, maybe this is a blessing in disguise for Prof. Mitchell. The University of Colorado sounds like a nightmare.
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