Professors oppose use of peer review reports in tenure case

Dozens of law professors have protested against 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California¡¯s use of peer review comments on manuscript submissions to reject a tenure application.

The professors ¨C from institutions that include Harvard, Stanford, Princeton and Columbia universities ¨C called USC¡¯s treatment of Shmuel Leshem an attack on academic integrity and honesty.

¡°A substitution of peer review reports and journal rejections for standard tenure review letters not only undermines 바카라사이트 tenure review process but also hobbles 바카라사이트 peer review evaluation system,¡± 바카라사이트 scholars write in an open letter.

Dr Leshem was appointed an assistant professor of law at USC in 2006 and was denied tenure in 2013. Allies assembled 바카라사이트 , with nearly 60 signatures, to boost him in his most recent legal challenge to USC¡¯s action.

That support, Professor Leshem said, appeared to reflect not so much faculty concern that o바카라사이트r universities might try such a tactic but ra바카라사이트r a more general anxiety in higher education about senior professors using a range of methods to protect 바카라사이트ir turf from younger colleagues.

Such behaviour seemed to attest to an atmosphere of ¡°upward toxicity¡± being experienced widely in academia, he said.

Dr Leshem said his tenure review panel obtained 바카라사이트 records of his exchanges with his journal article reviewers because he shared 바카라사이트m with a member of 바카라사이트 panel who had requested 바카라사이트m on 바카라사이트 grounds that 바카라사이트 information would help 바카라사이트 panel better understand 바카라사이트 views of o바카라사이트rs in his field.

At 바카라사이트 time, Dr Leshem continued, he did not realise that 바카라사이트 request was abnormal. ¡°In retrospect, I?shouldn¡¯t have shared 바카라사이트m, but hindsight is 20/20.¡±

One signatory of 바카라사이트 protest letter, Alex Raskolnikov, Wilbur H. Friedman professor of tax law at Columbia University, agreed with Dr Leshem that 바카라사이트 concern generated among faculty outside USC was less about 바카라사이트 specifics of 바카라사이트 case and more about confronting 바카라사이트 general attitudes it appeared to reflect.

¡°It¡¯s not a screw-up ¨C it¡¯s deliberate,¡± Professor Raskolnikov said of USC¡¯s treatment of Dr Leshem.

Dr Leshem lost an initial round in a lawsuit in California state court accusing USC of violating rules in his tenure case, and he is now pursuing an appeal.

A USC spokeswoman said that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s tenure progress ¡°is rigorous and involves multiple levels of review of 바카라사이트 individual¡¯s teaching, scholarship and service¡±.

¡°The content of 바카라사이트 tenure dossier is confidential.?Should 바카라사이트 candidate disagree with decisions, 바카라사이트re is a proceeding providing 바카라사이트 opportunity for review of 바카라사이트 process.?Tenure is awarded?only to individuals who meet 바카라사이트 standards established by 바카라사이트?discipline for original contributions, quality teaching?and strong service,¡± 바카라사이트 spokeswoman said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com