Report says professor ads didn't breach UT policies

11/3/2001

A committee formed to investigate controversial advertisements seeking professors for the University of Toledo has concluded that the university violated no written school policies.

The fact-finding team established last month by President Daniel Johnson gave him its report yesterday.

The team, which is chaired by Beth Eisler, associate dean of the law school, was formed after UT had published ads in The Blade and The Chronicle of Higher Education soliciting applicants for faculty positions in the colleges of arts and sciences and education.

Many faculty were upset by the ads, which they contended subverted the university's normal hiring procedures by not including faculty input. Some suggested the ads could be meant to intimidate nontenure-track professors who are negotiating a contract.

UT officials said Dr. Johnson did not have a chance to digest the committee's findings. He has called an open meeting to discuss the matter at 2:30 p.m. Monday in the Student Union.

Only the ad affecting the college of arts and sciences was addressed by the report, which states that faculty in the college of education have no objections to the ads.

The report does not call for the retraction of the college of arts and sciences advertisement, but does recommend that it not be reprinted and the applicants be informed that the jobs will not be filled.

The report recommends that no ads for tenure-track faculty should be placed without the written authorization of the dean of the college.