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Denial of tenure for NTU prof sparks outcry

SINGAPORE — The denial of tenure for a journalism professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has provoked an outcry from some academics and students.

SINGAPORE — The denial of tenure for a journalism professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has provoked an outcry from some academics and students.

Associate Professor Cherian George, a former journalist, joined the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) in 2004, and regularly blogs on topics such as politics and the media.

Dr George, who is also an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore, was reportedly denied tenure in 2009 when he was promoted to Associate Professor. He declined to comment when approached by TODAY.

In a statement last night, the university said it has a “rigorous” tenure process which all NTU faculty seeking tenure go through.

“As all employment matters are confidential, NTU will not comment on any specific cases,” said an NTU spokesman. He added that the process is “purely a peer-driven academic exercise” by internal and external reviewers. “The two equally important criteria are distinction in research and scholarship, and high quality teaching. Service and other contributions to the university, profession, or community are also taken into consideration,” the spokesman added.

According to the university, over the last six years, more than 1,000 faculty members went through the process, and more than 55 per cent were granted tenure.

NTU’s website stated that a tenure contract refers to a full-time permanent faculty position “with no periodic contract reappointments”, and the tenure decision for Associate Professors will be “made no later than” the sixth year of employment.

Cardiff University journalism Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, one of the reviewers of Dr George’s tenure case, had tweeted about the decision last Saturday, expressing her surprise and indignation that he had been passed over “on the grounds of quality of teaching and research”.

In a separate tweet, she said that Dr George’s tenure case was “watertight” and claimed that he was passed over due to “politics and repressing academic freedom”.

Final-year WKWSCI undergraduate Bhavan Jaipragas set up an online petition on Monday with four schoolmates. As of last night, it had gathered more than 700 signatures, including from Dr George’s former and current students. The petition will be delivered to parties including NTU President Bertil Andersson, NTU Provost Freddy Boey and WKWSCI Chair Benjamin Hill Detenber.

Mr Bhavan, 25, said he did not contact Dr George before starting the petition. “The overarching objective of the petition is for Dr George’s students — past and present — to affirm his credentials ... We felt it was very important (that) any impression that Dr George’s teaching skills were sub-par had to be quickly demolished,” he added.

Final-year WKWSCI undergraduate Mark Tay, 25, who helped set up the petition, said he was disappointed that Dr George’s quality of teaching was called into question and said that students “have the right to know” why his tenure was denied.

Alumnus Kuek Jinhua, 26, who graduated from WKWSCI in 2011 said: “To me, having been through his class (in year one), I really disagree ... that his skills are below par.”

Among those who signed the petition was Dr Stephan Ortmann, a Research Fellow at the City University of Hong Kong,

In an email to TODAY, Dr Ortmann said that although he has only been in contact with Dr George through the Internet, he “highly” respected the extensive answers given by Dr George from the questions he asked him.

“I was actually surprised that someone at the level of Associate Professor is not already tenured,” he said. He added that NTU should make any serious concerns about him public.

“I think it reflects poorly on NTU and perhaps Singapore if he is not tenured,” he said.

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