NationStates Jolt Archive


Don't get the promotion you want? You go HUNGRY!

NERVUN
06-02-2007, 04:38
MIT prof begins hunger strike over tenure By Jason Szep
2 hours, 30 minutes ago

A black professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology began a hunger strike on Monday, refusing to eat unless the university reverses its decision to deny him tenure.

James Sherley, a biological engineer whose opposition to embryonic stem cell research has been controversial among his peers, charges he has been denied the same freedom to challenge scientific orthodoxy afforded his white colleagues.

MIT expressed concern for Sherley's safety but said his case was rigorously reviewed and the decision to deny him tenure was fair. Twenty Biological Engineering department faculty signed a statement saying they believed race did not play a role in the decision.

Sherley, who has vowed to stand in protest outside the president and provost office for three hours each morning, says he believes the research is immoral because it requires the destruction of days-old embryos. He works only with adult stem cells.

Stem cell research has raised hope among many scientists -- including many of Sherley's peers -- for cures for ailments such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injuries.

In a 2005 letter to The Boston Globe newspaper, he called the motivations of scientists who promote human embryonic stem cell research "morally vacuous" and "selfish."

He was not available to comment after speaking to a group of about 20 professors and supporters outside the offices of MIT's president and provost in the morning.

When his request for tenure was first reviewed in 2005, Sherley was one of 28 African-American professors at MIT and the only black faculty member ever appointed in his department.

Linguist and political dissident Noam Chomsky and 10 other MIT professors want Sherley's case re-examined.

But MIT has said their decision stands and the process was "thorough and extensive" and followed with integrity.

"While we have encouraged him to seek other means to express his views, the Institute will respect his right, as a member of our community, to publicly express his disagreement in a manner that does not disrupt the work of the Institute or put others in the community at risk," Chancellor Phillip Clay said in a letter to MIT students and staff.

The university now has 740 tenured professors, of whom 27 or about 4 percent are ethnic minorities. Less than half of its junior faculty members are promoted to tenured positions.

"After the initial tenure decision, professor Sherley's case was examined three separate times," an MIT statement said.

It said Sherley had agreed with the selection of a committee to review his case. "The committee did not find any evidence that either racial discrimination or conflict of interest was a factor in professor Sherley's tenure review."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070206/us_nm/mit_protest_dc

On one hand I can see his point that MIT may have denied him tenue due to his race and/or stance on stem cells, at which case MIT might be well advized to have an outside agency conduct a review. But on the other hand, I mean, really now, just because you didn't get a job promotion in a highly compedative field at a highly compedative university, that's no reason to go on a hunger strike.

Almost makes me want to go sit in on his lectures just to eat in class, in front of him.
Greater Valia
06-02-2007, 06:42
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070206/us_nm/mit_protest_dc

On one hand I can see his point that MIT may have denied him tenue due to his race and/or stance on stem cells, at which case MIT might be well advized to have an outside agency conduct a review. But on the other hand, I mean, really now, just because you didn't get a job promotion in a highly compedative field at a highly compedative university, that's no reason to go on a hunger strike.

Almost makes me want to go sit in on his lectures just to eat in class, in front of him.

I think race had nothing to do with it, but I do think he was denied tuenure due to his position on stem cell research.
Posi
06-02-2007, 06:43
I think race had nothing to do with it, but I do think he was denied tuenure due to his position on stem cell research.

But he's black, so it is different.
Pantylvania
07-02-2007, 06:48
maybe the student evaluations said he sucked. Maybe he ran out of grant money. Maybe his grad students weren't graduating on time. Maybe he wasn't getting enough papers published
Neo Undelia
07-02-2007, 06:51
Fail.
German Nightmare
07-02-2007, 08:39
Bow bow bow. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/GermanNightmare/BluesBrothers.gif
NERVUN
07-02-2007, 08:45
Bow bow bow. http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/GermanNightmare/BluesBrothers.gif
Wow... someone actually caught that! :eek:
*Hands German Nightmare a chocolate taiyaki*
German Nightmare
07-02-2007, 08:58
Wow... someone actually caught that! :eek:
*Hands German Nightmare a chocolate taiyaki*
Thanks!!! I'm glad you didn't hand out a... rrrrrrrrrubber biscuit! :p
Harlsburg
07-02-2007, 09:03
You foriegners.:rolleyes:
German Nightmare
07-02-2007, 09:13
You foriegners.:rolleyes:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/GermanNightmare/really.gif Wha?
Euroslavia
07-02-2007, 09:27
Ironically, I'm an MIT and I'm waiting for a promotion any day now; however, I'm not the same MIT as in this article. I'm a manager in training at Hollister (part of Abercrombie and Fitch). :p
Zilam
07-02-2007, 09:30
Ironically, I'm an MIT and I'm waiting for a promotion any day now; however, I'm not the same MIT as in this article. I'm a manager in training at Hollister (part of Abercrombie and Fitch). :p

Ewww... Prep wear...-goes back to anti prep, high school dramatic attitude-
The Zoogie People
07-02-2007, 09:44
Huh, this is rather bizarre.

So, since I don't know all the details, some general questions: the guy was denied tenure, right? So...he can try for tenure again, or did the administration really lay the smackdown and say "NO, you shall not be tenured, ever!"

If that's the latter, then that is *really* odd. I'm not familiar with tenureship for professors, but it's my understanding that you can just apply again. It takes time to get a tenure. Not whining, or playing the "you're being racist! *pout*" card. Because, well, unless I'm gravely mistaken, lots of white professors are denied tenure also?

And if it's the former - if he can try to get tenured status in the future - what the heck is he complaining about? It seems really low to moan about something like this, much less go all-out and do a publicity stunt by not eating and acting all aggrieved.