Leon Botstein, president of Bard College, responds to an email from Clayton Eshleman:
From: President [mailto:presi...@bard.edu] Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 4:23 PM To: Clayton Eshleman Subject: Re: Joel Kovel Thank you for writing. Professor Kovel was not fired, and most certainly not for any political views he may or may not hold. After fifteen years of serving as the full-time occupant of a non-tenured endowed chair, he voluntarily assumed part-time status in 2004. At that time he received a five-year contract, with the understanding that after those five years the college reserved the right to renew his position on a year-to-year basis. He knew it was possible that his position might not be renewed after the 2008-2009 academic year. In consultation with faculty, Bard elected not to renew Professor Kovel's contract because, like all colleges, it faces severe fiscal constraints and is doing everything it can to preserve the employment of its full-time faculty. Professor Kovel enjoyed a fine and productive career at Bard for more than twenty years. We are sorry for and astonished at his allegations, which have no basis in fact. Cordially, Leon Botstein President, Bard College Clayton Eshleman wrote: >dear President Botstein: I am a poet and translator and an old and >close friend of one of the poets on your faculty, Robert Kelly. >Today I was sent a report on Joel Kovel's firing by Mark Crispin >Miller. I read the report and want to write you that unless Kovel >and others are grossly misrepresenting what happened, it would >appear that Kovel's rights, according to the Faculty Handbook, have >not been respected, and it also appears that he was not evaluated >fairly and in good faith. I think you should reinvestigate what took >place, and if you find any irregularities, then have the courage to >defend Kovel, his work, and his position at Bard. If you do not, >this firing may become blowback and seriously damage Bard's >reputation as a bastion of liberal and open discussion and research. > Sincerely, Clayton Eshleman --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Mark Crispin Miller's "News From Underground" newsgroup. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to newsfromunderground-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com OR go to http://groups.google.com/group/newsfromunderground and click on the "Unsubscribe or change membership" link in the yellow bar at the top of the page, then click the "Unsubscribe" button on the next page. For more News From Underground, visit http://markcrispinmiller.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
