Junior Faculty Protests Move In Sociology

Two radical Sociology instructors yesterday demanded reversal of a Sociology senior faculty decision, made last week, which bars junior faculty from voting on appointments of new non-tenured faculty.

Theda Skocpol and Rosemary C.R. Taylor, both instructors in Sociology, said yesterday they would write a letter this week to the senior faculty, asking them to reconsider their "unsatisfactory and unacceptable decision."

Junior Faculty Vote

Skocpol said yesterday that "junior faculty must have a vote in deciding who the other junior faculty members are going to be." Skocpol added, "New, un-tenured faculty will be colleagues whom we'll work closely with, and we must have a voice in choosing them."

Skocpol and Taylor said yesterday they feel the senior faculty believes the junior faculty might favor "weak, unqualified candidates" in order to enhance their own chances for promotion.

"That belief is silly and insulting," Skocpol said yesterday.

Harrison C. White, professor of Sociology, said yesterday "One can't generalize about the way the tenured faculty feels. I'm certain, however, that no one concerned believes such a simplistic thing."

Decision

The Sociology senior faculty decided last week to admit junior faculty to all department meetings, but rejected the junior faculty's request that they be allowed to vote on hiring decisions.

The decision permits junior faculty to vote on other matters of department policy, such as curriculum and degree requirements.

In a letter written to department Chairman George C. Homans in October, all four non-tenured faculty members requested permission to attend faculty meetings, and vote on all questions except those concerning their own promotion.

Prior to last week, Sociology junior faculty were not allowed to participate in decision-making meetings with tenured faculty.

The original junior faculty letter to Homans was signed by Skocpol, Taylor, Mark S Granovetter, assistant professor of Sociology, and Klaus Allerbeck, assistant professor of Sociology. Granovetter and Allerbeck were unavailable for comment yesterday.

Commenting on last week's decision, Skocpol said "I'm glad that the tenured faculty did the rational thing and set up some meetings we could participate and vote in."

But Skocpol said she was unhappy that "reform was not carried to its logical conclusion.