Faulty system denies tenureship to worthy professor

Lee graduated from UCLA in 1999 with a B.A. in geography and a
minor in Asian American studies. She is also a former USAC
president.

By Stacy Lee

I am writing this letter in response to the Daily Bruin article
regarding the denial of tenure for Professor Muldavin (“Students rally behind popular
professor, News, Daily Bruin, Feb. 21). I strongly disagree
with the university’s decision to deny Joshua Muldavin
tenure. He is truly one of the most exemplary professors on faculty
at UCLA.

Professor Muldavin is much hailed for his ability and talents in
teaching students; he has won numerous awards because of this. But
what would become a tiresome task in recognizing is his fervent
commitment to his students and his ability to inspire them to think
critically and challenge their own beliefs.

Very few professors can claim that they can take a lecture of
200 plus students and engage them in a dialogue about the
world’s contemporary environmental, economic and social
issues. But this is what Professor Muldavin accomplishes, quarter
after quarter, year after year.

As an undergraduate, after taking Geography 5 as a G.E., I
realized that I had found what I had longed for, but was woefully
missing from all of the courses I had taken prior. While I came to
UCLA with visions of obtaining a “higher education,” I
recognized after my first quarter, that much of what is taught is
ordinary, perfunctory, boring and uncritical information.

  Illustration by RODERICK ROXAS/Daily Bruin Professor
Muldavin’s course discussed issues that affect real people,
evaluated possible solutions and strategies and challenged us to
engage in this process as a class and as a generation. His
experience in the field and in developing cutting edge theory and
practice only added to the excitement and energy behind his
courses.

As a tutor for the Academic Advancement Program (AAP) for
geography, I was able to see the energy, light and inspiration that
students obtained from taking Muldavin’s courses. He does not
only teach you the subject matter, statistics and requisite
vocabulary, but pushes his students to engage in critical thinking.
The critical thinking skills that he taught were not only useful
for his courses, but enabled me to succeed in every aspect of my
academic and professional pursuits. While critical thinking is
often hailed in academia, it is too seldom taught.

Professor Muldavin was also one of the few professors to take
the time to teach me the necessary research skills that I would
need to perform well as a student and in any graduate school that I
may enter.

The university’s policies and procedures, however, do not
find the above skills and contributions sufficient to grant him
tenure. It is truly unclear the reasoning behind the denial of his
tenure because the process by which tenure is granted is not only
faulty but an embarrassment to the university.

The elite and secret manner by which these committees meet are a
far cry from the basic guidelines for fair and open proceedings
that we demand of most any other public institution. It is true
that throughout the university system, the process of tenureship is
treated much like being granted membership to a private elite club.
The requirements are laid out to the public in basic form, but the
“reason” for denial conveniently remains under a shroud
of secrecy.

You would hope that the clan would at least consider its own
wellbeing, in that the university should maintain at bare minimum a
few faculty with the ability to teach their students properly. We
all know (too) many professors who receive high honors for their
research and publishing, but couldn’t teach you the alphabet
in a logical or coherent manner.

Professor Muldavin should be granted tenure. The fact that he
has been denied this status is only further evidence of the need to
open up the tenure process for public scrutiny. He is not the only
professor to fall victim to this faulty process. Talented
professors everywhere are denied the privilege of tenure for
reasons only known to members of this exclusive club.

Professors are often afraid to speak up or take political
actions with which the university may find fault so that they may
preserve their chances at obtaining tenure. Students, faculty,
alumni and staff should be alarmed at the consequences of allowing
a situation such as this to persist in the university.