Section A·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, August 19, 1999
Faculty members get change of pace with sabbaticals
By Nathan Willis writer@kanson.com Kanson staff writer
Associate Provost Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett is taking a sabbatical this semester, leaving her duties — which include overseeing admissions, scholarships and freshman and sophomore advising — in new hands.
"It's a large job," Carlin said. "I've had to learn a lot very quickly, but I also know I have to learn a lot more."
On Monday, Diana Carlin, an associate professor of communication studies, took the place of McCluskey-Fawcett, who has been associate provost for three years for the semester.
Her duties include overseeing new student orientation, the University Registrar's office, Academic Technology Services and the informational campaign, which began recently to combat problem drinking at the University.
Still, Provost David Shulenburger said he was confident Carlin would fit into the role nicely.
"We chose Diana because she has been very involved, particularly with the work Kathleen does," Shulenburger said. "She had an ideal background for stepping into it."
That background includes her time as chairwoman of the task force that developed plans for the Freshman-Sophomore Advising Center, which she will now oversee. She was also chairwoman of the Department of Communications two years ago, giving her valuable experience in many of the issues she will deal with.
"I'm one who likes a challenge," Carlin said. "I've found it's very easy to become immersed in teaching and lose sight of the bigger University picture. This has broadened my perspective."
But that doesn't mean she will stop teaching. She still has one
class, Gender and Communication, and she will continue to work with communications graduate students, she said.
Meanwhile, McCluskey-Fawcett will be in Washington, D.C. As a member of the psychology department faculty, she will be working with the American Psychological Association and will write an article for The American Psychologist. Sabbaticals require faculty members to work in their fields while they are away from the University.
McCluskey-Fawcett said she had never taken a sabbatical before but felt the time was right. She said she would resume her duties Jan. 6, and that she thought the office was in good hands until then.
"I have complete confidence in Diana Carlin and the directors," she said.
After Carlin completes her time in McCluskey-Fawcett's position, she will take the place of Assistant Provost Rich Givens for the spring semester.
Carlin said she had less experience with matters that Givens dealt with, such as space concerns, research and distributing money raised by the $1-per-credit-hour technology fee.
However, she has a semester with Givens to learn the details of the job, rather than just a few weeks, she said.
Givens said he planned to spend part of his sabbatical being a mentor to students. As a professor of chemistry, he will spend about three months at the Los Alamos National Laboratories in New Mexico — the same laboratories that many claim the Chinese government stole nuclear secrets from.
Givens, however, won't be doing anything related to that. Instead, he said he would use the lab's advanced equipment to study how light affects biological processes.
Edited by Kelly Clasen
Professors sue the University for bias
By Lesley Simmons writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Federal court date set for couple who claim discrimination
Cynthia Annett, former assistant professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology, and her husband, Raymond Pierotti, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, are proceeding with a joint lawsuit against the University of Kansas
And Mike Cuenca, assistant professor of journalism, and Marie Aquilino, former assistant professor of art history, also are suing the University for discrimination
Annett and Pierotti are seeking $400,000 for alleged violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Annett alleged that sexual discrimination in her department kept her from being awarded tenure. Pierotti, a member of the Comanche Nation, claimed that racial discrimination caused him to lose his lab space and his position as head of the department's minority affairs committee.
The couple have a Feb. 1 court
date in a federal court in Kansas City. Until then, they will continue to work with their law firm, which they have hired on a contingency basis, assembling evidence and taking depositions as part of the pretrial discovery phase.
Annett said that her problems began with her fifth-year mandatory tenure review. She was denied tenure. The reason the department gave her for not granting tenure was research productivity, but the department didn't reveal any specific problems, Annett said.
Berry Clemens, administrative assistant for the department of ecology and evolutionary biology, said the University general counsel had instructed her and her colleagues not to talk about the case.
Annett was given a one-year contract, with a second chance for tenure review at the end of the year. She said her department told her that for her second tenure review she would be judged by separate criteria than other candidates, but she wasn't told what the criteria was.
The University's faculty handbook states that, during the tenure process, the "department shall make known to its faculty the criteria for evaluation."
Aquilino fitted suit against the University, alleging that she was
denied tenure because of sexual discrimination. Her trial date is March 3 at federal court in Kansas City.
Aquilino said in June that she thought she was denied tenure because she didn't fit gender roles among the faculty and because she incorporated gender issues into her classes.
Aquilino said she went through all of the channels in filing a grievance with the University before deciding to sue. She said she was seeking $100,000 in damages but would be content with whatever amount the courts decided.
Now she is writing a book about domestic violence in contemporary visual culture with a grant she was awarded by the American Association of University Women
Linda Stone-Ferrier, chairwoman of the department of art history, said that according to University policy she could not comment on the lawsuit.
Daniel Bays, professor of history and chairman of the history department, said he didn't know any of the details of these lawsuits, but that he approved of the tenure system in general.
"I think it's a protection for the individual, if they receive tenure," he said. "The process is a protection for the teaching and scholarly standards of the institution."
Bays said the peer review system
prevented friends of superior faculty members from receiving tenure undeservedly.
Cuenca filed a lawsuit alleging that he had been consistently denied positions within the journalism school because he was Asian-American. He will have a mandatory tenure review next year. Cuenca said he would let the court decide the amount he should be awarded.
Cuenca said he was motivated to file suit because he wanted to have his record cleared and because he wanted to see policies put in place to keep others from going through what he had been through.
He also is working on the discovery phase of his case. No court dates have been set.
James Gentry, dean of the school of journalism, said he could not comment on the case and deferred to the University counsel.
Barbara McCloud, assistant University general counsel, said it was the office's policy not to comment on pending litigation.
Cuenca and Pierotti continue to work for the University. Annett has an unpaid position now as adjunct professor in the Russian and Eastern European studies department. She will be leading student exchanges to Siberia.
- Edited by Julie Wood
Maxwell leads committee that reports to Regents
By Chris Borniger writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Student Body President Korb Maxwell is now the chief student representative for not only the University of Kansas, but also for all six universities governed by the Board of Regents.
In June, Maxwell was elected chair of the Students' Advisory Committee, which consists of the student body presidents from the University, Kansas State University, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University and Pittsburg State University.
Maxwell said his three years of working with Regents and the state legislature as a member of Student Legislative Awareness Board gave him the experience needed to work with Regents.
"My role has been the voice of students," he said. "That lets me use my knowledge to benefit students in a very real way. Now I have a direct way to talk to the Regents."
Maxwell will attend all Regents meetings. He said his close involvement with the Regents would be an asset to Student Senate.
"Since I'm actually sitting at the table with them, I can relay back to Senate better." Maxwell said. "It's helpful to have that conduit and get their advice."
The committee, established in 1975, advises the Regents on University-related issues. The committee is made up of six voting members, but student body presidents from the KU Medical Center and KState's Salina campus also are members. As chairman, Maxwell represents more than 80,000 students in
Regents universities.
Maxwell said that this year's agenda for the committee included continuing work on
for the committing work on increasing faculty salaries, improving academic advising, establishing a zero percent increase on tuition and increasing library funding. He said the committee also would deal with one of the greatest issues of concern to students
Maxwell: Leads advisory committee to Regents
— the recently modified structure of the Board of Regents.
"There's a big difference between what they're after and what we're after," Maxwell said.
At the University, Maxwell said his contact with the Regents would increase student influence on the administration.
"The administration wants an easy ship and not to rock it at all," he said. "If I can go straight to the top, the Chancellor has to notice that. I'm talking to the boss' boss."
Jason Heinrich, student body president at K-State and committee member, said he expected Maxwell to represent SAC well.
"We want to establish SAC as an important player in the system of higher education," Heinrich said. "Korb's a great leader, and he has good vision. He'll do a fine job."
Edited by Julie Wood
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