Lefties will scream that it was Churchill's leftie (DQTP) views that got him fired, but that's obviously not so--especially in the People's Republic of Boulder. His leftie (DQTP) and anti-American views brought a lot of attention to Churchill from outside the university--and this attention turned up several instances of academic wrongdoing. It would have been wrong for the university to ignore the overwhelming evidence against Churchill just because of his speech. He can say and believe whatever he wants, but that doesn't excuse him from plagiarism and falsifying his curriculum vitae (academic resume). I congratulate Chancellor DiStefano for having the integrity and courage to do what's right in this case. Here are the key parts of his announcement:
Nine allegations of research misconduct were sent to the Standing Committee on Research Misconduct. The nine allegations were reviewed by an Inquiry Subcommittee, which dismissed two of the allegations because they did not fall within the definition of research misconduct. The Inquiry Committee referred the remaining seven allegations to an Investigative Committee to explore them in more detail...
After conducting the due diligence I felt was necessary, I have come to a decision regarding the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Research Misconduct pertaining to Professor Ward Churchill. Today, I issued to Professor Churchill a notice of intent to dismiss him from his faculty position at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
What follows is a type of appeals process, although I haven't yet found information on whether Churchill will avail himself of that or not. I'm sure a school like the University of Wisconsin-Madison, or some other Berkeleyesque school, is already preparing an employment offer for Ward "Little Eichmanns" Churchill, though.
Rather than review the many flaws of "Chutch", I'll just give links to three stories/commentaries so you can get some more colorful views than just the dreary facts about this leftist...thing.
Hat tip to Little Green Footballs.
Another tenured prof with something to say...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/wichman.asp
Good find!
ReplyDeleteThe difference between the two cases is startling--but I doubt that will matter to the lefties.
What strikes me about the Churchhill case, and the Wichman email that KauaiMark posted above, is the complete lack of a stop sign between the brain and the mouth that these profs have. The fundamental principle of being an effective teacher and scholar at any level, including higher ed, is to keep the long-term best interests of your students in mind at all times. Churchhill's interest in educating students is nowhere on the map -- which isn't why he's being fired, but the presence of even a nominal concern for students' education might have headed off his excesses. And Wichman's email is a direct result of putting his feelings first and the Muslim students' best interests last.
ReplyDeleteWhatever happened to stopping and thinking about the other people whom your actions, and scholarship, might effect? I learned that when I was a kid; does it get unlearned in graduate school somehow?
Evidentally, once you have tenure, you can say anything under the guise of "Free Speech" and get away with it. Except of course to point out flaws in any liberal cause.
ReplyDelete