Muldavin deserves tenured position

Vellequette is a fourth-year inter-national development studies
student.

By Jim Vellequette

On March 15, Professor Joshua Muldavin will commence his last
regularly scheduled lecture as a professor of geography at UCLA,
unless something changes. A group of students have been organizing
this past month to raise awareness of this issue in hope that
Chancellor Carnesale will intercede and grant him tenure
(“Students rally behind popular professor,” Daily
Bruin, News, Feb. 21).

The students advocating Professor Muldavin’s tenure at
UCLA come from a wide spectrum of majors at both the graduate and
undergraduate level. Our fields of study are very diverse and so
are our motivations to see him stay at UCLA and become a tenured
professor.

Through Professor Muldavin’s highly-regarded Geography 5
course, many students have attained a new and unique view of the
world environment and the economy. This sobering perspective on the
future has opened the minds of many students to the reality of the
problems we face as a planet and as a people.

All of his courses are taught through his style of sweaty manic
energy, powerful presentation and terrible jokes, not to mention
lots of reading, writing, and research.

I am personally fighting for Professor Muldavin’s tenure
for several reasons. I have attended seven colleges and
universities in my academic career as a professional student, and I
have experienced the teaching style of almost 100 professors. Among
those 100, Joshua would rank in my top three as one of the most
effective instructors.

UCLA agreed with me, and awarded him the 1998 Distinguished
Teaching Award from the Academic Senate’s Committee on
Teaching, an award that is not given out lightly. The Daily Bruin
even ran a picture of Chancellor Carnesale handing him one of his
many teaching awards on the front page (Daily Bruin, News, Feb.
21). The decision to deny him tenure just doesn’t make any
sense.

The biggest criticism leveled at Professor Muldavin is that he
is lacking in publication and research.

My exposure to his work shows that he clearly understands the
value of research and getting it right.

While many doctors of geography have focused their research on a
plant or animal life, which is not to be devalued in any way,
Professor Muldavin has focused his research on the enigmatic people
and economy of China.

China’s economy and people do not cycle or change as
quickly as plant and animal life, but Professor Muldavin has stuck
with a long-term analytical process that is necessary for the
academic integrity of his work.

I know that Professor Muldavin could put his insanely busy life
aside, sit down and write the book about China that he has in his
head. But in addition to the massive amount of work that he is
already doing on campus, he is writing a new book with Piers
Blaikie of East Anglia University, Norwich, about geographic
watersheds in China.

Thus, Professor Muldavin’s own book will have to wait a
little longer ““ and I know we can wait a little longer. We
once kept an instructor named John Wooden on our faculty even
though he did not start winning the big victories until his 16th
year at UCLA.

Had Professor Muldavin published more or presented at more
conferences in the last 10 years, thousands of his students would
not have benefited from his academic guidance.

Additionally, thousands of other students who have gotten to
know Professor Muldavin through his decision to live in the dorms
would not have benefited from his insight and wisdom. They would
have missed out on a great advisor on life.

Ultimately, Professor Muldavin needs to remain a member of our
faculty because of his ability as a teacher. There is a methodology
and an excitement in the way he presents his material that
motivates students to learn and care about what they are
learning.

Professor Muldavin acknowledges that his reward as a teacher
comes from seeing his students gain confidence in their ability to
think, discuss and write critically. He wants every student to
leave his class with enhanced analytical abilities that they can
use through life. Speaking from experience, we do.

Chancellor Carnesale stresses the importance and value that
interdisciplinary and international studies must play in the future
of UCLA’s academic environment. As the Chair of International
Development Studies, an interdisciplinary degree program that
utilizes coursework from over 20 different academic departments,
Professor Muldavin is putting the Chancellor’s vision for
UCLA into action everyday.

If you agree with me that it is important that UCLA retain
Professor Muldavin in geography, I would like to ask you to write a
brief, courteous note to our esteemed Chancellor, Albert Carnesale
at [email protected] and
request his intercession in this process on behalf of Joshua
Muldavin and the students of UCLA.

Finally, remember that Professor Joshua Semyon Sylvan Muldavin
wears size 16 shoes and ultimately we will never find anyone who
can fill his shoes here at UCLA.