Popular prof loses his final bid for tenure

Camfield rejectedCamfield rejectedfor a second time In a decision that disheartened many students but shocked few, popular English Professor Gregg Camfield was denied tenure by the School of Arts and Sciences Personnel Committee for the second time. "I'm disappointed but not surprised, since the way the procedure works is that the case went back to the same people that considered it last year," Camfield said last night. Since Camfield is in his seventh year at the University and has been denied tenure twice, University policy dictates that he must leave Penn after this year. He said he has accepted a job at the University of the Pacific in California and will be eligible for tenure there after his second year. Camfield said he had interviewed at 16 different institutions, but decided on UOP because it was close to his family and it was a smaller school primarily focused on undergraduates. English Department Chairperson Wendy Steiner said she was not surprised by the committee's decision. "I was sorry to hear the news because he is a good person, but the exact same thing did happen last year," Steiner said. "The English Department did its best for Gregg," Steiner added. Camfield said he would miss his students' "brassiness" here and that he is leaving the University with mixed emotions. "My relations to the institution have been vexed since they've never given me clear signals," he said. The Personnel Committee considers research, scholarship and teaching recommendations during the evalua- tion of a professor being considered for tenure. "When I went up for tenure I had two books and when I was denied I was told to give them more," Camfield said. "So I got a third book contract and that was still not enough." Camfield said he heard rumors that the same professor on the humanities sub-committee who presented his case to the Personnel Committee last year did so again this year. Although Personnel Committee Chairperson Gary Tomlinson said he could not comment on Camfield's individual case, he explained that there is no rule governing which member presents cases to the Personnel Committee. "The nature of the review at tenure time is a very full and thorough review that takes teaching and other factors into consideration," Tomlinson said. But several students who have had Camfield as a teacher said they are upset by the decision. "I think it's an absolute disgrace," College senior Jerry Greenberg said. "It's been clear for so long that he is one of the finest professors at this school and to let him go really raises the question of Penn's commitment to undergraduate education." Greenberg said he wrote letters expressing his dissatisfaction with last year's decision. His parents, who are Penn alumni, also wrote letters in support of Camfield. English Undergraduate Advisory Board member and College senior David Marek said that Camfield was one of the best teachers he had at the University. "You could always go in to talk to him and not just about class," Marek said. "Even when he wasn't my teacher, I would go in to talk to him about what I was going to do next year since I'm graduating." College junior Elisa Behar described Camfield as a professor who is genuinely concerned that his students learn the course material. "I'm very upset about it," Behar said. "There was an element inside of me that hoped he would not be denied and that he would stay at the University."