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.
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.