Commentary
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Commentary
Essay
by David A. Holtzman

College disregards normal channels

I am writing to clarify some issues raised by your article entitled "Confusion in neuroscience". I would first like to review the history of why I have agreed not to teach classes for now. I had been made aware of concerns by the Neuroscience Program last spring. Despite my attempts to resolve these concerns, the Neuroscience Program sought instead to request my resignation. In the past month alone and prior to any charges filed against me, 1) my classes were removed from the course catalogue without my consultation and without my consent; 2) new advisees were assigned to me and then taken away from me without my consent; 3) requests have been made to me to resign and to faculty counsels to suspend me prior to the filing of any formal complaints; and 4) Mr. Albert Borroni was hired this summer and has been assigned to courses that I normally teach. As of the morning of September 5, 1996, I had gone to classes as scheduled but on each occasion the class was canceled rather than allow me to participate. To date, I have not been suspended and have agreed not to attend class pending formal procedures, which have not been pursued to the best of my knowledge. I agreed not to go to class because students were suffering by having their class (NSCI 201) canceled whenever I showed up. I do not believe that students should be inconvenienced by a dispute that I am having with the Neuroscience Program and the College administration.

Although I still do not know why the first two scheduled Neuroscience classes were canceled, it is clear that the Neuroscience Program and the College administration do not want me to teach. The College administration has pursued suspension of my teaching responsibilities under the pretense that I am of immediate danger to students. However, they were content to allow me to work with students over the summer, and, to the best of my knowledge, there have been no accusations made against me after the end of last semester. As Mr. Smith had been quoted in last week's article, my classes have been canceled for the semester. I think that it is important that the Oberlin community understand that the cancellation of my classes was done in mid-August. In addition, the hiring of Mr. Borroni as a substitute for my classroom and advising responsibilities seems a bit out of the ordinary. As I mentioned, it had never been communicated formally that I would not be teaching this coming semester, but Mr. Borroni was hired during the summer to assume some of those responsibilities. As a member of the Neuroscience Program Committee, I should have been consulted about this hiring but was never informed about it. At the time of his hiring, I still believed that I would be teaching and expected to do so. I wonder under what pretense Mr. Borroni was hired. Similarly, I was given new advisees this past August, but they were taken away from me just prior to the start of classes and given to Mr. Borroni.

Last week's article reported that the determination of my continued teaching at Oberlin College "...will be done via the normal channels." Again, I find it odd that such a determination is considered "normal" when, to date, there have been no formal complaints made against me and the College administration has refused to consider due process throughout the summer and relying on threat and intimidation instead. Before any formal complaints have been made against me and before review by the appropriate review committees, the College administration (specifically the dean of the College and the President) has sought recommendations for my removal from teaching. Basically, I feel that I have been judged guilty without going through "normal channels." Obviously, the Oberlin College administration appears to believe in "Guilty until proven innocent."

Lastly, the College has sent conflicting signals since end of the last academic year when I was made aware of concerns by the Neuroscience Program. If the College administration and Neuroscience Program consider me such a threat, why was I allowed to have students work with me all summer? Why did I receive a merit raise? Why was I given advisees in August? In asking these questions and writing this letter, I wanted to let the Oberlin community know that there are always two sides to a story.

By David A. Holtzman, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience


Related Stories
Holtzman files federal suit against College -September 13, 1996

Confusion in Neurosciences -September 6, 1996


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Copyright © 1996, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 125, Number 2; September 13, 1996

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