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CS/Math Prof Leaves Post

Students Angered After Integral Courses Dropped

by Adrian Leung

Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Daniel Steinberg resigned before the official beginning of the 2000-2001 academic year. As a result, three Computer Science courses were cancelled, two of which are an integral part of the Third Stream minor.

The Third Stream minor is the portion of Computer Science courses teaching web design related material. Three Third Stream courses ‹ Computer Science 101, Introduction to Computers and Computing and Computer Science 221, Object-Oriented Computing ‹ were heavily sought-after classes.

The cancellation of these courses has inconvenienced both students and faculty in the department.. Many students attempting to get into the remaining 100 and 200 level Third Stream Minor courses have met lengthy waitlists for both Computer Science 100 and Computer Science 235.

Professor Christian Koch teaches both courses, each of which has a limit of 60 students. Koch said, ³Now we have people who canıt take the course. We canıt recruit people [professors] within two weeks to the beginning of the semester. We have an obligation to these people. ² Koch insisted that hiring a professor for the second semester remains a priority.

Steinberg, age 40 and the father of two, felt that after three years of temporary professorships, and no sign of a more permanent tenure-track position coming his way, his time at Oberlin College was over. Steinberg started his Oberlin career in the Mathematics Department in the fall of 1997, teaching calculus and other courses on a temporary position.

Later, he began a two year temporary contract last fall for a joint position in the Mathematics and Computer Science department. Steinberg said, ³The bottom line for me is that all my life I wanted to be an Oberlin College faculty member. My dad was a member of the Philosophy department for many years.

³Nothing would have made me happier than a career in the Mathematics department, Computer Science program or even a joint appointment. I am sad that the College was unwilling to commit to my having a future there and so I am currently beginning another career.²

Some professors in the Computer Science Department were disappointed to see Steinberg leave. Visiting Professor Stephen Wong, who grew up in Oberlin with Steinberg, said, ³Daniel is a wonderful person to work with. He brings a tremendous breadth of knowledge about the directions of computer technology. I find that invaluable. My conversations with Daniel were very helpful to my teaching. Daniel has gifted in his ability to work with the type of students enrolled in Third Stream courses and has a keen understanding of what needs to be done and how to do it.²

Some students also feel that Steinbergıs resignation is a loss. Senior Oshon Temple, who took a number of Steinbergıs Mathematics and Computer Science courses said, ³Daniel Steinberg is a warm man, father, insightful teacher, who, for many students, brought humbleness and lively honesty to a subject many people feel they canıt communicate with.²

Former Computer Science professor Rhys Price-Jones, who recently resigned from the department, said, ³Currently itıs a Computer Science program. For 13 years I hoped that the program would become a department. I really donıt understand why this didnıt happen. It would have been most beneficial to the health of Computer Science at Oberlin.²

Acting Dean of the College and Professor of Computer Science Robert Geitz said the difference between a program and a department is ³that departments are self-governing and programs are governed by committees which include the faculty teaching in the program.²

³Computer Science is a program. It has a small number of faculty and faces a lot of pressures; the additional advice that comes from the program committeee is useful to those teaching in the program.²

Recently the Computer Science program hired John Karro into a tenure-track position. Originally, the position was another temporary position, but the College Faculty Committee created a tenure track for Karro. Geitz said this hiring is not, in any way, related to Steinbergıs resignation. Steinberg was under the impression that no new positions would be offered in the following two years.

Senior Third Stream minor Thao Nguyen said, ³[One] concern is simply getting enough credits to fulfill the minor requirements. Since Iım a senior, waiting until next year is not an option for me. The Computer Science department, in response, is accepting a broader range of credits taken in other departments. Itıs not the best solution, but in light of Professor Steinbergıs sudden departure, I think it works for most students.²

Steinberg is now training at a company in Boston, maintaining the IBM Java webpage, and recently finished writing The Java 2 Bible.

³Iım not angry at anyone,² he said.

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Copyright © 2000, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 129, Number 2, September 15, 2000

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