SAS committee revisits English prof's tenure bid

Michael Awkward came to town a star, but he did not receive a hero's welcome. A visiting professor of English, Awkward had been a tenured professor at the University of Michigan when Penn lured him to West Philadelphia early last year. The University loaned Awkward $25,000 to make a down payment on a house and found a campus job for his wife, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. According to the Chronicle, School of Arts and Sciences Interim Dean Walter Wales wrote Treasurer Scott Lederman that Awkward "will be joining our faculty as a professor in the Department of English on July 1, 1996." The English Department voted unanimously to give Awkward a tenured position, the Chronicle reported. But in May the SAS personnel committee -- a rotating group of 19 SAS faculty that usually rubber-stamp such requests -- rejected Awkward's nomination for reasons that remain confidential. Awkward -- as well as the English Department -- felt burned. "I may be the only visiting professor in the country who was so important to come to the University, that they would help him buy a house and loan him $25,000," Awkward told the Chronicle at the time. The Chronicle wrote that English Professor Eric Cheyfitz lamented "the visibility of this kind of malpractice" in a letter to his department head. The administration "ought to realize the potential long-term effect of this breakdown in the integrity of the institutional practice of making senior appointments," he said. Though the SAS personnel committee rarely overrules a department's recommendation -- between 5 and 10 percent of the time, according to Committee Chairperson and Math Professor Julius Shaneson -- the group has rejected some popular professors in the past few years, including Geology Professor George Boyajian and English Professor Gregg Camfield. One year after Awkward's first review, the personnel committee is again examining his status. But this time the proceedings take place under the gaze of an apprehensive English Department and the threat of a lawsuit by Awkward if he is rejected again. Awkward, who said it "wouldn't make a lot of sense" to talk about his appointment now, told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the Chronicle's article is correct. English Department Chairperson Wendy Steiner said the personnel committee will give a positive recommendation within a few days. After that, the appointment must be approved by the Provost's Office and a number of deans. "We have high expectations," Steiner said. And Wales said the approvals by the provost and dean should be fairly automatic. "In general, I would not overturn the recommendation [of the personnel committee]," he said. Awkward's colleagues were hopeful about his prospects at getting tenure and expressed support. "It's due to him -- [just] on the merits of the case," English Professor Al Filreis said. "He was a full professor at Michigan and he should be a full professor here. Period." And English Professor Rebecca Bushnell noted that "his case is very strong," adding that "he'll be a wonderful addition to the department." But some faculty members were still bitter about last year's rejection. "What was disconcerting was that a department as distinguished as English voted unanimously [on the appointment] and had it rejected," Filreis said. "Particularly since this was an African American appointment, word gets around and this makes Penn look not good," Steiner said. "It's not only how it looks on the outside -- it hurts on the inside. "One thing that angered [members of the department] is that we are specialists in the field and here are a bunch of people outside the field who think they know better," Steiner added. But she cautioned against too much negativity. "This is a happy outcome," she said, referring to Awkward's expected appointment. "It's a time for celebration."

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