CATHERINE JUN/Daily Bruin Derrick
Hindery, a Ph.D student in geography, camps in Perloff
Quad Tuesday afternoon.
By Dexter Gauntlett
Daily Bruin Reporter
Tents and lawn chairs transformed Perloff Quad into a
“pro-education zone” Tuesday, with students demanding
tenure for geography Professor Joshua Muldavin.
Some thought the movement that has now resulted in weekly
protests and hunger strikes reached its height May 8, when police
arrested 19 students for protesting in Murphy Hall. But
participants said they are dedicated to continuing their effort
until Muldavin receives tenure.
“We’re going to go as far as people are willing to
go,” said Jun Kim, a third-year international development
studies student.
With tents pitched since Tuesday morning, 10 students have
committed themselves to not eating and will sleep under the stars
until early Thursday.
“It’s this type of attitude engendered by his
teaching and sincerity that promotes this dedication in
students,” Kim said.
Chancellor Albert Carnesale, who has the authority to override
the tenure process, said during the May 8 protest that he would not
bow to political pressure when it comes to tenure decisions, nor
would he comment on personnel matters.
Students say the chancellor still has not answered four requests
proposed to him on May 8, including granting tenure to Muldavin, an
independent external review of the tenure process, increased
student participation in the tenure process and a commission to
study the impact of tenure on the quality of education.
UCLA has not dropped charges against the 19 students arrested
May 8.
“We think it’s ironic that students standing up for
quality of education are being penalized by the institution,”
said first-year political science student Eric Blocher, whom police
arrested.
Protesters said the inaction on behalf of the chancellor is
evidence that the power to have the final say in granting or
denying tenure is invested in the wrong person.
Students drew connections to the lengthy repeal process of SP-1
and 2. They said it took a rally of tremendous student and
community support for years before the UC Regents even considered
the measures ““ which they repealed in May.
“Not granting tenure to Josh Muldavin shows that our
interests aren’t the ones being served,” Blocher
said.
Some departments at UCLA are meeting requests for further
student input beyond tallying numbers on quarterly professor
evaluations. The urban planning department, for example, currently
enlists students in the recommendation process for professors.
Tuesday’s protesters said they seek to make this a UC-wide
practice, and this decision would be up to the regents.
“Students need to know that their input is not being
sought, but they can still make a difference,” Blocher
said.
Wearing a sticker declaring his commitment to the hunger strike,
Student Regent Justin Fong, whom police arrested May 8, said it
would be an injustice if the university did not grant tenure to
Muldavin.
“He was teacher of the year, he has been published in
distinguished journals and has show his dedication to students by
being a Faculty In Residence for seven years,” he said.
Fong cited Tidal Wave II, the influx of 60,000 students into the
UC-system over the next 10 years, as further reason to grant tenure
to the professor.
“For every 25 students there is supposed to be one faculty
member,” Fong said. “If there is already a problem in
finding quality teachers, why are we going to deny tenure to
someone like Josh Muldavin?”
Fong commented that important aspects for an institution like
UCLA, such as providing quality education and maintaining research
don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
“There are very few faculty who have Josh’s kind of
commitment to students.” he said. “I think all students
would say that they have had professors who weren’t quality
teachers. Students pay for their education, they should get quality
teaching.”