CTS GRADS STILL WRITING TO ME
Dear Ruth:
I am a graduate of CTS (M.Div.). . . . Thank you for your blogging and thank you for the Left Behind book [that] justified the affection I have with the idiosyncrasies of our small CRC, with . . . its children’s sermons which fail as often as they work. I appreciate the parishioner who is thinking of a divorce and feels free to bring it up with me in the parking lot, I tousle the head of a 17 year old who I know has been told by his mom to leave the house and tell him to smarten up and call me for a hot chocolate, I mention to ______ that I am thinking of him on the first anniversary of his boy’s choice to end it all with a shotgun. . . . Thank you so much for affirming that in such teasing, corny or incredibly sad moments the modest local church is moving in Christ. . . .
I am just so surprised that CTS did not provide a home and tenure for you. I thought Neal was intent on shaking things up. . . . To lose an author of your obvious talent is something which an institution with a serious publishing deficit cannot afford. To lose a professor of your humour and evident grit is a damn shame. . . . Neal’s conduct is the shocker. Unfortunately, his failure to sue for libel (something which any President would surely be compelled to do in the face of your allegations) tells me that your version of the notes is the correct one.
Keep writing. Please.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
TENURE MATTERS
Cornerstone University here in Grand Rapids recently announced that it was phasing out tenured positions at the school--a move that will allow the university to more easily shuffle professors in and out of teaching positions. In light of this breaking news story, the Calvin College CHIMES published an article on Calvin's perspective on tenure. The new provost Claudia Beversluis commented: “A tenure track appointment is the most highly sought appointment,” said Beversluis. “People will leave other places if they can get a tenure track appointment. It’s longer term job security.” Well, duuuuhhhhhh. That's not rocket science. But when I spoke of my being removed from tenure track in an email to Henry DeMoor as being punishment of "extreme severity," he wrote back: "It is not clear to me what you refer to when you speak of 'punishment of . . . extreme severity.'" (March 8, 2005) Claudia has been in her position less than a year and she understands the system. Henry had been in his position some 3 years and he pretends not to know what tenure track is all about. Will someone please ask him about this? Will some of my colleagues come forward and ask how he could pretend that removing someone from tenure track is a routine procedure?
Cornerstone University here in Grand Rapids recently announced that it was phasing out tenured positions at the school--a move that will allow the university to more easily shuffle professors in and out of teaching positions. In light of this breaking news story, the Calvin College CHIMES published an article on Calvin's perspective on tenure. The new provost Claudia Beversluis commented: “A tenure track appointment is the most highly sought appointment,” said Beversluis. “People will leave other places if they can get a tenure track appointment. It’s longer term job security.” Well, duuuuhhhhhh. That's not rocket science. But when I spoke of my being removed from tenure track in an email to Henry DeMoor as being punishment of "extreme severity," he wrote back: "It is not clear to me what you refer to when you speak of 'punishment of . . . extreme severity.'" (March 8, 2005) Claudia has been in her position less than a year and she understands the system. Henry had been in his position some 3 years and he pretends not to know what tenure track is all about. Will someone please ask him about this? Will some of my colleagues come forward and ask how he could pretend that removing someone from tenure track is a routine procedure?
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