if any marxmailers wish to sign this letter in support of Norman F, they can email me and I'll inform the authors.
We have shown the letter to Finkelstein and he approves of it. gm [EMAIL PROTECTED] DRAFT APRIL 7 12:28 PM (GMT +2): SCHOLARS FOR INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM IN SUPPORT OF DR. NORMAN FINKELSTEIN April 2, 2007 The Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., Ed.D. President Office: 55 East Jackson Boulevard, 22nd Floor Phone: 312/362-8000 Fax: 312/362-6822 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Rev./Dr. Holtschneider: As scholars and teachers in various institutions throughout the U.S. and abroad, we are writing to inquire about Dr. Norman Finkelstein's tenure case. We have seen a memo, dated March 22, 2007, from Chuck Suchar, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, to the University Board on Tenure and promotion, recommending against tenure for Dr. Finkelstein, despite favorable votes at two levels of faculty review. Dean Suchar justifies his recommendation on the ground that Dr. Finkelstein's scholarly work, though sound in its content, is often uncivil, disrespectful, mean-spirited, inflammatory, and so on, in its tone. We object to this weighting of criteria, especially when a scholar's polemical style is cited as evidence that he lacks "values of collegiality." The American Association of University Professors has explicitly challenged the use of criteria such as "collegiality" in tenure and promotion evaluations, precisely because these terms are subject to a wide range of interpretations. The AAUP rightly notes that criteria of this sort are often used to mask retribution as well as disciplinary or other biases. We note that they often stand in for political disagreement. The likelihood increases, in our view, when the criteria are couched as vague institutional principles, such as "personalism" and "Vincentian values." As scholars in various disciplines, ranging from political science, history, literature, women's studies, ethnic studies, we know that any teaching and writing about culture, and politics can seem controversial. This is especially so in fields such as Latin American studies, women's studies, ethnic studies, and Middle Eastern studies. In such areas of intense debate, a polemical tone is not unusual, and does not discredit the underlying scholarship. Tenure exists precisely to allow scholars the pursuit of candid intellectual inquiry, even the most controversial fields, without fear of retribution. To challenge the status quo of Zionist historiography in the U.S., as Finkelstein has done in his scholarship, most certainly ignites controversy; but his ability to address the subject with thorough documented evidence that encourages readers to see the subject of Palestine and Israel anew is precisely why scholars around the world value his work. While researchers like diplomats and heads of state cannot avoid appearing polemical given the highly charged nature of fields such as Dr. Finkelstein's it is imperative that we, as scholars and administrators, protect the right of research scholars and teachers to work in this field unhindered by fears of retribution. Faculty specialists are the most reliable judges of a peer's teaching, research and service contributions. Dean Suchar's overriding of faculty assessments, using malleable and subjective criteria, is a clear violation of the principle of intellectual freedom that is a hallmark of higher education. Without the protection of this valued principle the integrity of higher education is irreparably harmed. The professional reputation of DePaul University also stands to suffer, if an internationally recognized and reputable faculty member's tenure is denied on such reasoning. As fellow academics, we respectfully request that you investigate the matter at hand to intervene into Dean Suchar's dangerous precedent that, inevitably, sends the signal that arts and sciences is now endangered at DePaul University and in the American academy in general. In this tenure case, there appear to be gross violations of very basic professional protocol (e.g., such as the Dean's decision to reference to a possible lawsuit as further evidence of Dr. Finkelstein's lack of "personableness"). Many academics are following this case and are legitimately interested in the outcome as our own careers, and the very mission of the academy, also rest in the balance. Respectfully, Academics for Intellectual Freedom In Support of Dr. Norman Finkelstein: Mohammed Abu Nimer International Peace and Conflict Resolution American University Sandra Adickes, Professor Emerita Winona State University Dr. Sami Adwan Bethlehem University Department of Education Bethlehem, Palestine Hamid Algar Professor of Islamic Studies Department of Near Eastern Studies University of California, Berkeley Evelyn Alsultany Assistant Professor American Culture Program University of Michigan Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, Ph.D. Professor of Italian and Humanities University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Joshua Andresen Assistant Professor Department of Philosophy American University of Beirut Robert Bahruth Department of Education Boise State University Mona Baker, Professor of Translation Studies, University of Manchester, UK Ian Barnard, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of English/Teachers for a New Era Faculty California State University, Northridge Munir Bashshur Professor of Education American University of Beirut Marc Becker Associate Professor of History Truman State University Dr. Tarunjit S. Butalia Research Scientist The Ohio State University Norma Cantú, Professor Department of English, Classics and Philosphy University of Texas at San Antonio Ward Churchill Professor of Ethnic Studies University of Colorado-Boulder Dana L. Cloud Associate Professor Department of Communication Studies University of Texas John Crawford University of New Mexico Nabil Dajani Professor Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences Bucker Dangor Emeritus Reader and Senior Research Investigator Physics Dept Imperial College London Gregory Dawes, Professor Latin American Literatures and Cultures Editor, A CONTRACORRIENTE Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures North Carolina State University Riad Dimechkie Director, Executive MBA Program Olayan School of Business American University of Beirut Barbara Foley, Professor Department of English Rutgers University Moira Ferguson Professor Emerita University of Missouri, Kansas City Lilia Fernández Assistant Professor Department of History Ohio State University Victoria Fontan Director, International Peace Studies Programme University for Peace San Jose, Costa Rica H. Bruce Franklin The John Cotton Dana Professor of English and American Studies Rutgers UniversityNewark Grover Furr Montclair State University Hala Gali-Muhtasib, Chairperson Department of Biology American University of Beirut Philip Gasper Professor of Philosophy Notre Dame de Namur University Rich Gibson Emeritus Professor San Diego State University Dr. Robin Truth Goodman, Assistant Professor Department of English Florida State University Alvin Greenberg Howard Hastings UM, University College Heidelberg, Germany Janet Holmes, Department of English Boise State University Virginia Husting, PhD Associate Professor Department of Sociology Boise State University Ibrahim Imam Associate Professor Computer Engineering and Computer Science Department J.B.Speed School of Engineering University Of Louisville Pranav Jani Assistant Professor, English The Ohio State University Paula Jay Retired School Teacher Louis Kampf Professor Emeritus Massachusetts Institute of Technology Persis Karim Department of English San Jose State University Christine Karatnytsky Scripts Librarian Billy Rose Theatre Division The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Patricia Keeton Professor of Communication Arts Ramapo College of New Jersey Jamil Khader, Ph.D. Associate Professor of English The English Department Stetson University Keith Kilty College of Social Work Ohio State University James Robin King Graduate Student, Columbia University Gautam Kundu Associate Professor of English Deptartment of Literature and Philosophy Georgia Southern University Paul Lauter Allan K. & Gwendolyn Miles Smith Professor of Literature Trinity College Ann Lesch Dean - School of Humanities and Social Sciences American University in Cairo Maria Lima, Associate Professor Department of English SUNY Geneseo Bill Lyne, Professor English Department Western Washington University Robert W. McChesney Research Professor Institute of Communications Research University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Dr. Sophia A. McClennen , Associate Professor Comparative Literature, Spanish, and Women's Studies Graduate Director, Program in Comparative Literature The Pennsylvania State University Leerom Medovoi Associate Professor of English Director, Portland Center for Cultural Studies Portland State University Gregory Meyerson Department of English North Carolina A & T University Ali Mili, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark New Jersey Bronwyn Mills Department of English Kadir Has University Istanbul, Turkey Bill V. Mullen, Professor and Director American Studies Department Purdue University Robert Myers Department of English American University of Beirut Mona Nasrallah, Department of Internal Medicine American University of Beirut Robert Niemi, Ph.D. Coordinator, American Studies Program St. Michael's College Marcy Newman, Visiting Professor Center for American Studies and Research American University of Beirut Samuel Noumoff Retired, McGill University Hilton Obenzinger Associate Director of Undergraduate Research Stanford University Ben V. Olguín, Associate Professor Department of English, Classics and Philosophy University of Texas at San Antonio Richard Ohmann Dr. Jemima Pierre Department of Anthropology Center for African and African American Studies The University of Texas at Austin James Phillips College Language Immersion Program (CLIP) Kingsborough Community College, CUNY Martin Orr Department of Sociology Boise State University Wendy Pearlman Ph.D. candidate Political Science Department Harvard University Michael Vicente Perez Ph.D. Candidate Department of Anthropology Michigan State University David K. Pitts, Ph.D. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Wayne State University Kamala Platt, Ph.D., Lecturer University of Texas Pan American Edinburg, Texas Vijay Prashad George and Martha Kellner Chair of South Asian History, Professor and Director of International Studies, Trinity College, Hartford, Ct. Gautam Premnath, Assistant Professor Department of English University of California, Berkeley Aneil Rallin Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Composition Soka University of America Bruce Robbins English and Comparative Literature Columbia University Aliya Saidi Professor, Center for Arab and Middle East Studies American University of Beirut Natsu Taylor Saito Professor of Law Georgia State University Basel Saleh Director, Initiative for Middle East Policy Dialogue Department of Economics Radford University George Saliba Professor of Arabic and Islamic Science Columbia University Rosaura Sánchez, Professor Literature University of California, San Diego Ala' Sharara, M.D., FACP Professor of Medicine Head, Division of Gastroenterology Director, Endoscopy Unit American University of Beirut Medical Center Associate Consulting Professor Duke University Medical Center Jim Smethurst Afro-American Studies University of Massachusetts, Amherst Julia Stein Brian Stross Professor of Anthropology University of Texas at Austin Steven W. Thomas English Department Penn State University, University Park Mary Thomas Assistant Professor Departments of Geography and Women's Studies Ohio State University George Wolfe Professor of Music Ball State University Samar Zebian Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences American University of Beirut -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.
