After three straight years in the runner-up position in the infamous U.S. News & World Report rankings, the administration has decided to regularize its visiting lecturers and professors in an effort to overtake Williams College. As part of this process, TPS was asked to reapply for his position with the philosophy department, but he declined. Instead, the black studies department planned on hiring him in the same capacity he has held for over a decade in philosophy. As a member of the California Bar Association (and a graduate from Harvard Law School) Professor Smith has experience in civil rights law, and would be well-qualified to teach classes on race and the law. In addition, his expertise in ethics and race (in philosophy) would fill a niche within the black studies department that has been vacant since Professor Gooding Williams, one of the founding members of black studies, left over 10 years ago. But late last semester, representatives of the black studies department were informed by Dean of the Faculty Gregory Call that TPS's move to their department would not be authorized. When pushed for justification, Dean Call said he would not create any new visiting positions. This excuse is bothersome, however, because several departments including English, psychology, WAGS and political science have received visiting spots for next year. Furthermore, how can one professor switching departments be considered a "new position?"
It is reprehensible that unprecedented and arbitrary "rules" aimed at improving an even more arbitrary ranking can so rigidly dictate the College's policies. In general, it is troubling that any institution would so casually cast away a valued, longtime employee. But more importantly, how can Amherst, an institution supposedly predicated on the quality of its teaching, fail to renew one its finest educators? The quality of the education at Amherst should never be sacrificed in favor of a meaningless ranking, and a person who has dedicated a decade of his life to the College should not be so easily forgotten.
Also at the heart of this issue is the fact that Dean Call has no record of Professor Smith's universally acknowledged teaching abilities. Any student knows that TPS is not only one of Amherst's most popular and capable professors, but possibly its most dedicated. It is common for Professor Smith to fill his weekend with student appointments, and he may write more letters of recommendation than any of his peers. Of course, as one of the faculty's most selfless professors, TPS is not one to draw attention to this injustice. But I am confident that once his former students' eyes are opened, they will not be so quiet. To this end, I am bringing the issue to light and organizing a petition drive to keep TPS at Amherst. The petition will be sent to the offices of the Dean of the Faculty as well as President Anthony Marx. Because Professor Smith has impacted not only the students still on campus but numerous classes of graduates as well, the petition will be electronically organized via Facebook in order to allow alumni participation. Students who are concerned about the issue can sign onto Facebook and search for "Keep Professor Smith at Amherst" (http://amherst.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2243811121). I urge all of you join the group and sign the electronic petition.
It is important to note that Professor Smith has no knowledge of this article or the petition campaign. In fact, after such degrading treatment at the hands of the College, it is possible that regardless of the petition's outcome Professor Smith may prefer to move on anyway. But his students can not allow him to move on without recognizing all that he has done for us in his time at the College.
Andy is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Amherst Student. Since retirement, he has played a lot of golf. He lives in Morrow Dormitory and can be reached at asbruns@amherst.edu.