Update on prof McAdams

[Galway Eagle]

http://m.jsonline.com/news/education/290863921.html

[Jay Bee]

Free McAdams!

[Marquette Gyros]

I'm sure there won't be any litigation from his side at all if he's terminated.

[🏀]

Pleasantly surprised with this outcome.

[keefe]

F uck Marquette. This is shameful and embarassing

[Marquette Gyros]

No way this is over. McAdams, with a lawyer and nothing to lose, creates a crapload of negative attention for MU over the next 18-24 months. The guy has to be relatively set from a financial perspective, so settlement money won't be appealing to him. Buckle down, MU brass...

[rocket surgeon]

Oh-oh, this ain't gonna end well for anyone.  The final agree's to disagree's will more than likely have some gags in it.  Regardless of how this plays out, this doesn't look good from the outside looking in

[keefe]

Marquette does more to shoot itself in the face than any other college I know. 

[🏀]

Before you all get lathered up:

ear Marquette community,
In light of media coverage triggered by information Associate Professor John McAdams shared publicly, it is important that I share additional perspective with you. While we will not discuss details of personnel matters, I can inform you that the university’s review process is now complete. Professor McAdams has been advised of the action that the university intends to take as a result. Until all procedures required under university rules and policies are complete, we will not publicly disclose further details. I do, however, want to reinforce important principles that I have discussed previously that will be at the forefront of our efforts going forward.
The decisions here have everything to do with our Guiding Values and expectations of conduct toward each other and nothing to do with academic freedom, freedom of speech, or same-sex marriage. As I noted in my recent Presidential Address, our Guiding Values were drafted with extensive input from our campus community to keep us all accountable and to provide the foundation for a collegial environment based on mutual respect.
As your president, I assure you of my full support for academic freedom. My academic experiences are rooted in my time as a tenured faculty member, where I saw first-hand the great privileges and responsibilities bestowed upon me and my academic colleagues.
Debate and intense discussion are at the heart of who we are as a university, but they must be balanced with respect – our Catholic faith and Jesuit tradition demand nothing less. There are dozens of ways disagreements can be handled with respect and civility on campus, many of which are outlined in our handbooks. And, there are dozens of ways a professor can productively help a student learn and grow.
We must always remember that academic freedom must be grounded in integrity, be accurate at all times and show respect for others’ opinions. When these standards are not met, the power of tenure can abuse and silence our students – the very minds we are seeking to cultivate, grow and ultimately transform.
In closing, you have my promise that the safety and well-being of our students will come first in every decision I make as president of this great university.
Sincerely,
Michael R. Lovell
President

[forgetful]

I'm sure there won't be any litigation from his side at all if he's terminated.

He'd be wasting his money, he has no legal merit in this instance.

[rocket surgeon]

I wonder how Marquette likes its eggs?

[brandx]

He'd be wasting his money, he has no legal merit in this instance.

You're may be right, but it will be framed as a free speech issue by his side. And there are plenty of groups (Fire is the 1st that comes to mind, maybe even ACLU) that will take it as a free speech case.

[🏀]

You're may be right, but it will be framed as a free speech issue by his side. And there are plenty of groups (Fire is the 1st that comes to mind, maybe even ACLU) that will take it as a free speech case.

Free speech would be grasping at best.

[mu_hilltopper]

You're may be right, but it will be framed as a free speech issue by his side. And there are plenty of groups (Fire is the 1st that comes to mind, maybe even ACLU) that will take it as a free speech case.

Are you talking about the freedom of speech that guarantees that the government can't abridge your right to speak?    And how does that apply to Marquette, being, you know, not the government?

[🏀]

Are you talking about the freedom of speech that guarantees that the government can't abridge your right to speak?    And how does that apply to Marquette, being, you know, not the government?

Yep.

[Marquette Gyros]

Marquette does more to shoot itself in the face than any other college I know. 

Uh huh. I disagree with McAdams' ideology, but termination of a tenured professor due to ideological differences is really wrong. It's not like Johnny was cranking out hate mail to the TA up in his office in the Wehr building.

The right answer was for MU to suck it up and wait out this guy's tenure. How old is he, 70? How much longer would he have been on campus anyway?  If you don't agree with his approach, don't tenure him in the unnatural carnal knowledgeing first place.

My guess is that this is a decision made with significant input from enrollment and development. MU calculates that McAdams' presence impacts applications and donations and cuts bait. Which would be cool if he were an assistant professor or, ahem, a TA, but he's in neither of those roles. His tenure protects his right to both differ ideologically on gay marriage, as well as his ability to promote discourse on an issue that has nowhere near unanimous support in this country, outside the MU garden.

[MUfan12]

Oh-oh, this ain't gonna end well for anyone.  The final agree's to disagree's will more than likely have some gags in it.  Regardless of how this plays out, this doesn't look good from the outside looking in

They wanted their chance to do this, and this incident was it. He's already prepared to sue the University. This is gonna drag out, and Marquette might end up regretting this decision.

[🏀]

Uh huh. I disagree with McAdams' ideology, but termination of a tenured professor due to ideological differences is really wrong. It's not like Johnny was cranking out hate mail to the TA up in his office in the Wehr building.

The right answer was for MU to suck it up and wait out this guy's tenure. How old is he, 70? How much longer would he have been on campus anyway?  If you don't agree with his approach, don't tenure him in the unnatural carnal knowledgeing first place.

Did you not read Lovell's statement I posted? Nothing to do with ideology. It's about respect and accountability in the workplace, something McAdams has lacked for apparently decades.

[forgetful]

Uh huh. I disagree with McAdams' ideology, but termination of a tenured professor due to ideological differences is really wrong. It's not like Johnny was cranking out hate mail to the TA up in his office in the Wehr building.

The right answer was for MU to suck it up and wait out this guy's tenure. How old is he, 70? How much longer would he have been on campus anyway?  If you don't agree with his approach, don't tenure him in the unnatural carnal knowledgeing first place.

My guess is that this is a decision made with significant input from enrollment and development. MU calculates that McAdams' presence impacts applications and donations and cuts bait. Which would be cool if he were an assistant professor or, ahem, a TA, but he's in neither of those roles. His tenure protects his right to both differ ideologically on gay marriage, as well as his ability to promote discourse on an issue that has nowhere near unanimous support in this country, outside the MU garden.

Two things, with tenure, he can stay on campus as long as he wants to.  Second, tenure is held extremely sacred by faculty, yet, overwhelmingly across the country faculty think he was in the wrong and are supportive of revoking his tenure.  

Tenure is sacred, but supporting the development of students is paramount to academia.  He violated the latter.

[🏀]

Tenure is sacred, but supporting the development of students is paramount to academia.  He violated the latter.

+1.

Good to see others can see beyond the Fox News headlines on this.

Keeping McAdams after this would be the bigger detriment to MU's future. Lovell stepped up to the plate big time.

[Marquette Gyros]

Did you not read Lovell's statement I posted? Nothing to do with ideology. It's about respect and accountability in the workplace, something McAdams has lacked for apparently decades.

"I'll go with Taking PR Statements at Face Value for $2,000, Alex!"

[keefe]

Isn't Marquette the same University that withdrew a legitimate job offer to a compelling candidate for the Deanship because they learned she was a lesbian????

[Ellenson Guerrero]

This decision is absolutely indefensible for Marquette with respect to academic integrity.  Whatever one believes about the merits of gay marriage, it is unquestionably a legitimate topic for a philosophy of ethics class and a professor should have every right to comment on another instructor's handling of the issue.  

[🏀]

"I'll go with Taking PR Statements at Face Value for $2,000, Alex!"

So you completely agree with a tenured professor attacking, berating and then completely outing a teaching assistant? Okay, buddy.

That's not the conduct Marquette should support from a tenured professor.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

So you completely agree with a tenured professor attacking, berating and then completely outing a teaching assistant? Okay, buddy.

That's not the conduct Marquette should support from a tenured professor.

Did you read his Nov 9 post?  If a TA can't handle that level of criticism they shouldn't be involved in academia...