EDITORIAL: Publish or perish?

Political Science Professor Daniel Deudney should not be denied tenure. Political Science Professor Daniel Deudney was denied tenure last May by the Provost's staff committee even though he had the full support of his department and the School of Arts and Sciences. And students seem to be in favor of granting Deudney tenure as his classes are full each semester. His international relations theory and global environmental politics classes attract more than 400 students each semester. Deudney's tenure rejection comes when the Political Science Department is in the midst of restructuring. This year, the department is actively recruiting more professors since the department was targeted by the Agenda for Excellence plan as part of the University that needed significant improvement. While the department is specifically looking to boost its American Politics concentration, the International Relations sector is considered the strongest area in the department, partly due to Deudney. The University should be trying to bring in professors like Deudney instead of forcing them to leave the struggling department. Apparently, the tenure committee doesn't think Deudney has published enough scholarly articles, although he did win the American Political Science Association's Best Article in History and Politics award in 1995. Deudney has six manuscripts that are in progress. Unless the committee overturns its decision, another institution will be able to boast a prolific scholar with six newly published articles in its Political Science Department. If Deudney is denied tenure, he will join the growing list of good professors to exit Penn because of a tenure controversy. In 1995, English Professor Gregg Camfield and Geology Professor George Boyajian were denied tenure. And last year, Religious Studies Professor Edward Breuer were also denied tenure. Breuer, like Deudney has won the University's Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Administrators are trying to build a better Political Science Department and won't succeed in improving it if they lose top professors like Deudney.