[comp.edu] WSU CS Dept.

jmatrow@ncrwic.Wichita.NCR.COM (John Matrow) (05/05/87)

From The Wichita State University SUNFLOWER, Friday, May 
1, 1987, Vol XCI No. 93. Used by permission.

PROMOTION DENIAL PROMPTS RESIGNATION

by Scott Brokaw, Staff writer

   A  controversy surrounding an associate professor  of 
computer  science has resulted in the resignation of the 
department's  chair  and could lead to  further  faculty 
departures.
   As  a  result,  the computer  science  department  at 
Wichita  State  University  may have its heart  cut  out 
before the end of the semester, due to negligence on the 
part of the administration.
  So  charged  Mary Edgington,  chair  of  the  computer 
science  department and Mark Rutter,  instructor in  the 
department.
   The   controversy  involves  Viswanathan   Santhanam, 
associate   professor  of  computer  science,   who  was 
recently denied promotion to full professor.  Members of 
the  department  claim Santhanam  was  denied  promotion 
because of a faulty committee process.
   Edgington resigned her seat Tuesday over the flap.
   "My  resignation  is  the result  of  frustration  of 
trying  to  build a department that has no control  over 
personnel  decisions within the  department,"  Edgington 
said.  "The so-called departmental committee was made up 
of people outside the department."
   Santhanam,  who  received  his Ph.D from  Ohio  State 
University,  said  that he has a lot of respect for  the 
review  process,   but  that  the  fault  lies  in   its 
execution.
   He said that because no computer scientists served on 
any  of  the committees,  the value of his work was  not 
understood.
   "There was a reluctance on the part of the committees 
to examine my achievements in the context of my  field," 
Santhanam said.  "If the committees tried to solicit the 
information  they  didn't  have,  it would have  made  a 
difference."
   Santhanam's  bid  for  promotion  to  full  professor 
failed after a series of committee rejections.  The only 
computer  scientist  to  serve  on  a  committee  during 
Santhanam's review was Edgington,  who served on the LAS 
committee.  However,  because  college review  committee 
members  are not allowed to speak on behalf  of  faculty 
members in their departments, she couldn't speak.
   Santhanam  said that too much emphasis was placed  on 
publication in journals in the review process.
   "I  do  not  have publications in journals  that  are 
viewed  as prestigious," he said.  "I have  considerable 
achievement in other areas."
   Santhanam  has  petitioned to  WSU  President  Warren 
Armstrong   in  an  attempt  to  reverse  the   rulings. 
Santhanam  said that he would resign if Armstrong  rules 
against him.
   "My best opportunity for an academic career is here," 
Santhanam  said.  "If I cannot be recognized  here,  the 
chances of me being recognized elsewhere are small."
   Santhanam  emphasized  that his intention is  not  to 
alter  anyone's  opinion regarding his  review,  but  to 
correct the problems that persist in the review process.
   Santhanam,  who played a key role in the  development 
of the department after coming to WSU in 1975,  recently 
completed  a  software development project that  brought 
$225,000   to  the   university.   Santhanam's   project 
translates  computer  programs from Fortran  [sic],  the 
first  computer  language,  into  ADA  [sic],  the  most 
sophisticated language.
   Joyce  Scott,  executive vice president  of  academic 
affairs, said she couldn't discuss the matter because it 
was a personnel matter.
   The entire computer science faculty has visited Scott 
twice concerning the decision on Santhanam's promotion.
   "We   expected   her  (Scott)  to   reconsider   (the 
decision)," said Rutter, instructor in computer science. 
"She  proceeded to insult us for attempting to meet with 
here about the issue."
   Rutter   added   that  denying   Santhanam   a   full 
professorship  is  "one  more step in the  brain  drain. 
There's   been   negligence   on   the   part   of   the 
administration."
   Scott said that she told the computer science faculty 
that because of university policy, they could not appeal 
the decision on Santhanam.
   "If they felt insulted,  it's unfortunate," she said. 
"There is no provision for third-party appeals,  which I 
think  is  perfectly appropriate.  The problem  is  that 
people aren't aware of the policies regarding the tenure 
and promotion process."
   Santhanam's  journey  through the  promotion  process 
began when he was reviewed by a departmental  committee, 
which denied his promotion.  He then was reviewed by the 
department chairperson (Edgington), a college committee, 
the  dean of the college and the University Committee on 
Tenure,  Promotion  and  Academic  Freedom.  All  except 
Edgington voted against Santhanam's promotion.
   However,  no computer science faculty members  served 
on  the departmental committee because no faculty member 
has   more  than  an  associate  professor   status.   A 
university  policy states that only full professors  can 
sit on departmental committees.
   After Santhanam was turned down by a Liberal Arts and 
Sciences  committee,   he  appealed  to  the  University 
Committee on Tenure, Promotion and Academic Freedom.
   "Where the dean and the college committee have  voted 
almost  unanimously against the promotion,  there  would 
have to be strong evidence that the decision was reached 
inappropriately  for the university committee to reverse 
anything," said Fred Kraft, committee  chairman.  "Since
there was no evidence  that  the  decision  was  reached
inappropriately   we   did  not  overrule  the   college 
committee's decision."
   President  Armstrong,  who has  received  Santhanam's 
appeal, said he expects to resolve the matter before the 
end of the semester.
   Edgington  said  that the loss of Santhanam would  be 
devastating to the department.
   "It's like being stabbed in the heart," she said. "We 
would  be losing one of the best faculty members in  the 
department. The students would be the ones to suffer."





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John Matrow   Automation Engineering, NCR E&M Wichita
              <john.matrow@Wichita.NCR.COM>
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