Students Rally To Keep Professor

A student-initiated petition drive is underway to reverse a recent decision denying tenure to popular Associate Professor of History Ellen Fitzpatrick.

According to students in History 1637: "Politics, Society and Culture in 20th Century America," a sign-up list distributed in yesterday morning's lecture indicated that students would be organizing to fight the History Department's decision not to tenure Fitzpatrick.

Vi T. Ngyuen '98 of Currier House started the list after a discussion in one of the course's sections about why Fitzpatrick had been denied tenure.

"There's a lot of goodwill toward Ellen Fitzpatrick in the course," said Brian W. Casey, a graduate student in the history of American civilization who led the section. "Everyone loves her lecturing style and loves the readings she's selected."

Fitzpatrick's students likewise applauded her treatment of the material and her engaging lectures.

"I think it's a great class and she's a great lecturer," said Alissa S. Brotman '97, a history and science concentrator. "She's made the class really interesting."

Indeed, Fitzpatrick earned a 4.5 out of 5.0 for teaching ability in the CUE Guide for her teaching in History 1637 last year.

"They simply recognized that she's a wonderful professor and a fine scholar," said Dean E. Budnick, the head teaching fellow for the course. "That sort of grassroots support is wonderful. It speaks volumes about her teaching skills."

History Department officials, including Chair William C. Kirby, declined to comment on the tenure proceedings, citing confidentiality regulations.

Although tenure decisions are assumed to take into account a scholar's teaching abilities as well as publications and research, undergraduate opinions on a professor's teaching are widely felt to have little effect on the tenure process.

Orit A. Sarfaty '97, a student in History 1637, said this apparent disregard for professors' teaching practices in tenure appointments led to her own decision not to sign Ngyuen's list.

"The reason I didn't sign, or the person next to me, was because are we going to get together and help her write another book? Because that's the only thing that would get her tenure," Sarfaty said. "She's a really good teacher, she's approachable, but does that matter?"

Kirby said, however, that professors' teaching abilities are weighed as part of the tenure deliberations.

"All relevant information is always taken into account," he said.

Fitzpatrick has published two books and edited, prefaced or co-authored four others, according to Harvard's online catalog.

Fitzpatrick herself was unavailable for comment yesterday, and Budnick said Fitzpatrick would not discuss her future plans.

Meanwhile, widespread rumors that Fitzpatrick is now headed for Columbia University are categorically untrue, according to Kenneth Jackson, chair of Columbia's history department.

"I certainly cannot confirm that," he said. "We have a number of interdisciplinary searches going on, but if she's coming to the history department, I do not know about it.

Although tenure decisions are assumed to take into account a scholar's teaching abilities as well as publications and research, undergraduate opinions on a professor's teaching are widely felt to have little effect on the tenure process.

Orit A. Sarfaty '97, a student in History 1637, said this apparent disregard for professors' teaching practices in tenure appointments led to her own decision not to sign Ngyuen's list.

"The reason I didn't sign, or the person next to me, was because are we going to get together and help her write another book? Because that's the only thing that would get her tenure," Sarfaty said. "She's a really good teacher, she's approachable, but does that matter?"

Kirby said, however, that professors' teaching abilities are weighed as part of the tenure deliberations.

"All relevant information is always taken into account," he said.

Fitzpatrick has published two books and edited, prefaced or co-authored four others, according to Harvard's online catalog.

Fitzpatrick herself was unavailable for comment yesterday, and Budnick said Fitzpatrick would not discuss her future plans.

Meanwhile, widespread rumors that Fitzpatrick is now headed for Columbia University are categorically untrue, according to Kenneth Jackson, chair of Columbia's history department.

"I certainly cannot confirm that," he said. "We have a number of interdisciplinary searches going on, but if she's coming to the history department, I do not know about it.