Protest condemns former prof for links to Serbian government

A group of community activists yesterday asked the University to officially condemn Mihailo Markovic, a former adjunct political science and philosophy professor, for his alleged leadership role in the Serbian government. In front of College Hall yesterday, Philip Valenti of the Schillings Institute said that Markovic is now "a spokesman and leader of the fascist Serbian government" and that he is "involved in organizing genocide." In response to the group's calls to "officially and formally repudiate Markovic," Associate Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Richard Beeman said that Markovic has not taught at the University since fall 1990 and has not had a contract since 1991. "Markovic is not a professor and not an employee of the University at this time," Beeman said yesterday. "It has always been the University's policy to neither condemn nor condone the views of current or past faculty." Markovic worked at the University for nine years. Political science department chair Oliver Williams said last night that Markovic has "no connection whatsoever" with the University or the Political Science Department. Williams said he "listened with disbelief" to Markovic on a Serbian radio broadcast very early in the political conflict, and was disturbed by what he heard. But he added that during a war it is difficult for to keep track of a person's actions. "I don't know and I don't think the Schillings people know exactly what his status is," Williams said, adding that the allegations have upset many people at the University. Valenti claimed that Markovic is still associated with the University. Markovic is still listed as an adjunct professor in the 1992-1994 Undergraduate Academic Bulletin and in the current graduate admissions catalogue. The 1992-1993 Course Register lists three of Markovic's courses. The Schilling Institute has organized a petition to President Sheldon Hackney to permanently ban Markovic from the University. "It's as if a professor were to go to work for Hitler," Valenti said. "He is actively complicit in acts of genocide . . . the University should make it clear he is not going to return again." Williams said that Markovic had not been removed from the course registers because his contract did not end until the fall of 1991.

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