EDITORIAL: The Correct Action

The English Department should The English Department shouldreopen English Professor Gregg The English Department shouldreopen English Professor GreggCamfield's tenure case to The English Department shouldreopen English Professor GreggCamfield's tenure case todemonstrate that it values The English Department shouldreopen English Professor GreggCamfield's tenure case todemonstrate that it valuesquality teaching. The English Department shouldreopen English Professor GreggCamfield's tenure case todemonstrate that it valuesquality teaching.__________________________________ When the assistant English professor was denied tenure, he had been given the first annual teaching award by the English Undergraduate Advisory Board and had consistently averaged a teaching rating of 4.0 in the Penn Course Review. He had already published one book and was under contract in March for a second. And he had demonstrated service by participating in the College's writing committee, which helped institute the writing requirement. These accomplishments seemed to meet the given criteria for tenure, but Camfield was still denied. Next week, however, the English Department has a chance to correct this terrible mistake. At an upcoming senior faculty meeting, tenured English professors have the opportunity to reopen Camfield's case. We strongly encourage the English Department to do just that and start the process to correct an injustice that never should have occurred. Reopening Camfield's case is the perfect opportunity for the English Department to ensure students that it is truly committed to the highest quality undergraduate teaching. It would be a travesty for the University to lose such a talented and dedicated teacher. For more than a year, the administration has harped on the importance of undergraduate teaching. Now an academic department has the opportunity to show that it has heard the administration's message and values students' concerns. We suggest that the English Department seize this opportunity and symbolically cement the University's commitment to undergraduate education.