ISU Lawsuit - Sex Discrimination

[harimad]

http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/article_5aba56ee-1494-11e7-a4ba-730ba3dcdf07.html

Laura Smarandescu, who formerly served as an assistant professor in marketing, said that she was forced to leave Iowa State after her application for promotion to tenure was denied – a process in which she felt she faced wrongful and unlawful discriminatory conduct.

In fall 2015, the appeals committee "agreed with [Smarandescu] and voted 22-2 that the tenure process was flawed and in violation of the Faculty Handbook.

The committee recommended that Smarandescu's tenure process be redone, according to court documents, and that she be offered an extension of her employment contract.

On Nov. 3, 2015, however, Leath denied the recommendation of the appeals committee to redo the tenure process and extend her contract.

Because of the denial of her tenure application and Iowa State's policy, Smarandescu was then forced to leave her employment at Iowa State within six months, according to court documents.

It seems strange that Leath would overturn the appeals committee's decision? I wonder what made him do that?

 

[CycloneWanderer]

Can't say without more details.

 

[3GenClone]

It seems strange that Leath would overturn the appeals committee's decision? I wonder what made him do that?

Any chance that it had to do with not wanting to extend the contract? Seems really shi%&y, but not something that would surprise me.

 

[harimad]

Any chance that it had to do with not wanting to extend the contract? Seems really shi%&y, but not something that would surprise me.

The suit alleges that her qualifications and production are as good or better than other (male) assistant professors in her school who did get promoted into tenure.

 

[Incyte]

Her own department denied her tenure application. Not everyone can be tenured. Tough cookies.

 

[alarson]

Yeah.. would be interesting to hear the other side, but along with the Bubu case this is another lawsuit that came about because he overruled the procedures before him.

 

[harimad]

Her own department denied her tenure application. Not everyone can be tenured. Tough cookies.

And the appeals committee voted 22-2 that the tenure process was flawed and should be redone.

 

[Incyte]

And the appeals committee voted 22-2 that the tenure process was flawed and should be redone.

You mean the faculty committee protected their own? No way.

 

[MeowingCows]

What's all involved in a tenure application? Is it strictly just time and qualifications, or is there other stuff considered (acheivements, reviews, interviews, performance, recommendations etc.)?

 

[KezClone]

What's all involved in a tenure application? Is it strictly just time and qualifications, or is there other stuff considered (acheivements, reviews, interviews, performance, recommendations etc.)?

Yes to all of that.

The tenure process *is* flawed. Thus the need for an appeals committee.

 

[jkclone]

I guess I don't know about this one. I looked her up on rate my professor and the reviews weren't great. I read she was in charge of marketing research and that was poor when I had to deal with it. I don't know who all has tenure but she doesn't seem like an exceptional candidate by any means.

 

[cowgirl836]

be interested to read more details. I'd imagine that making a move like this gets you labeled as.........."difficult" to other universities hiring and thus you wouldn't want to do so lightly.

 

[cmjh10]

I guess I don't know about this one. I looked her up on rate my professor and the reviews weren't great. I read she was in charge of marketing research and that was poor when I had to deal with it. I don't know who all has tenure but she doesn't seem like an exceptional candidate by any means.

If only Rate My Professor went towards tenure. Im sure only like 10 prof would be tenured then.

 

[DFWClone]

I've had many friends take classes with her and she's awful. Isu finally gets rid of a bad teacher and they get sued... smh.

 

[MeowingCows]

If only Rate My Professor went towards tenure. Im sure only like 10 prof would be tenured then.

If students decided who their teachers were, school wouldn't exist.

Although I did follow RMP religiously with good success.

 

[CNECloneFan]

http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/article_5aba56ee-1494-11e7-a4ba-730ba3dcdf07.html

It seems strange that Leath would overturn the appeals committee's decision? I wonder what made him do that?

The promotion and tenure process is both secretive and cruel. There are all sorts of details that we do not have access to. Based upon my experience on the P/T track, and serving on P/T committees for others, this could be 1) details about her teaching, 2) her interactions with colleagues, 3) her publication/grant record, or 4) the Administration seeing an opportunity to drop a salary and benefits during a time of budget cuts.

She could be totally in the right, or a bad prof that needed to be weeded out. We don't know. But the P/T process is unnecessarily long and cruel, IMO.

 

[CNECloneFan]

If students decided who their teachers were, school wouldn't exist.

Although I did follow RMP religiously with good success.

You would have loved MY classes, then. LOL

 

[jkclone]

If only Rate My Professor went towards tenure. Im sure only like 10 prof would be tenured then.

It isn't some damning thing but I've found it to be relatively accurate on the teaching front. I'm sure there are teachers with poor grades on there that are excellent at their job and teachers with good grades that aren't good but I'm just saying the information that is available leads me to believe this is far from a slam dunk.

 

[harimad]

You mean the faculty committee protected their own? No way.

You make a good point.

 

[CycloneErik]

You make a good point.

Not really. Faculty willingly cut dead weight loose quickly. Nobody wants someone unqualified working with them. I've seen it several times already.