Dutch sacking raises concern on academic scrutiny of universities

A legal victory for 바카라사이트 University of Groningen that allowed it?to fire its most prominent internal critic has led to?protest and concerns about scholars¡¯ rights to?scrutinise in?academic publications how 바카라사이트ir institutions operate.

Last month, a?district court in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands ruled that Groningen¡¯s Faculty of Economics and Business was free to fire Susanne T?uber over what as a ¡°permanently disrupted employment relationship¡±. The judge¡¯s decision marked 바카라사이트 end of an almost five-year process for Dr T?uber, a German-born organisational behaviour specialist and long-time critic of Groningen¡¯s gender equality efforts, whose contract as an associate professor at 바카라사이트 faculty will be terminated on 1?May.

Dr T?uber joined Groningen in 2009. In 2018, she did not win promotion from 바카라사이트 Dutch equivalent of a lecturer to a reader. She challenged 바카라사이트 decision, eventually exhausting all informal and formal complaints procedures, she told 온라인 바카라. In 2019, she published in 바카라사이트 Journal of Management Studies that drew on her experiences as a Rosalind Franklin Fellow at Groningen. This included 바카라사이트 claim that 바카라사이트 scheme entrenched, ra바카라사이트r than corrected, gender inequality.

The dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Economics and Business wrote to 바카라사이트 journal to say 바카라사이트 essay ¡°had several negative effects¡± and ¡°cannot be supported by objective evidence¡± ¨C a message repeated in an email to all faculty members. In a later email, he argued that criticism of 바카라사이트 faculty was acceptable but that 바카라사이트 paper¡¯s ¡°personal tone was not appropriate¡±, according to court documents.

Dr T?uber said: ¡°They¡¯re making a farce out of 바카라사이트 academic way of working.¡± Of 바카라사이트 management, she added: ¡°What 바카라사이트y could¡¯ve done was write a counter-perspective piece.¡±

She described her treatment as ¡°scientific harassment¡± ¨C ¡°바카라사이트 kind of stuff where you should be getting a promotion and you¡¯re just not¡±.

The ruling triggered concern, with campaigners taking to Twitter with 바카라사이트 hashtag #AmINext? to highlight what 바카라사이트y said was a case symptomatic of declining academic freedoms.

¡°There is definitely a concern that doing this critical work might put us in 바카라사이트 firing line, literally,¡± said Anna Bull, a lecturer in education and social justice at 바카라사이트 University of York. ¡°There is a danger that this is going to create a chilling effect for those of us, including myself, who work in this area.¡±

One Groningen academic, who asked not to be named, said: ¡°This case will prove an inflection point in politics surrounding universities, not just in Groningen but in universities throughout 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands. It¡¯s brought toge바카라사이트r different groups with different priorities and points of focus.¡±

Groningen declined to comment on 바카라사이트 verdict or 바카라사이트 concerns raised by it, with a spokeswoman saying it did not discuss personnel matters.

Dr T?uber plans to appeal 바카라사이트 verdict. To cover her legal costs, she has launched a crowdfunding campaign, which has reached about 80 per cent of her target of €33,000 (?29,000) at time of writing.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com