Petition in Support of Dr. Janice Harper
Janice Harper was an Assistant Professor with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, who was denied tenure earlier this spring and fired from her position with the university on July 31, 2009. An anthropologist, Dr. Harper has made valuable contributions to medical and environmental issues through her teaching and scholarship. In the course of her tenure evaluation Dr. Harper was subjected to a Homeland Security investigation. No evidence of criminal activity was found. A report by the University of Tennessee's Faculty Senate Appeals Committee (June 15, 2009) has fully exonerated Dr. Harper. The Faculty Senate Appeals Committee's report describes multiple violations of university procedure and supports claims that Dr. Harper was denied a fair tenure evaluation. Anthropologist David Price wrote about the case in the August 10th edition of CounterPunch in an article titled, Trial by Investigation. See: http://www.counterpunch.org/price08102009.html
We, the undersigned, express support for Dr. Harper and request that independent bodies such as the American Association of University Professors, the American Anthropology Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology look into this matter.
Janice Harper was an Assistant Professor with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, who was denied tenure earlier this spring and fired from her position with the university on July 31, 2009. An anthropologist, Dr. Harper has made valuable contributions to medical and environmental issues through her teaching and scholarship. In the course of her tenure evaluation Dr. Harper was subjected to a Homeland Security investigation. No evidence of criminal activity was found. A report by the University of Tennessee's Faculty Senate Appeals Committee (June 15, 2009) has fully exonerated Dr. Harper. The Faculty Senate Appeals Committee's report describes multiple violations of university procedure and supports claims that Dr. Harper was denied a fair tenure evaluation. Anthropologist David Price wrote about the case in the August 10th edition of CounterPunch in an article titled, Trial by Investigation. See: http://www.counterpunch.org/price08102009.html
We, the undersigned, express support for Dr. Harper and request that independent bodies such as the American Association of University Professors, the American Anthropology Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology look into this matter.
Janice Harper was an Assistant Professor with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, who was denied tenure earlier this spring and fired from her position with the university on July 31, 2009. An anthropologist, Dr. Harper has made valuable contributions to medical and environmental issues through her teaching and scholarship. In the course of her tenure evaluation Dr. Harper was subjected to a Homeland Security investigation. No evidence of criminal activity was found. A report by the University of Tennessee%u2019s Faculty Senate Appeals Committee (June 15, 2009) has fully exonerated Dr. Harper. The Faculty Senate Appeals Committee's report describes multiple violations of university procedure and supports claims that Dr. Harper was denied a fair tenure evaluation. Anthropologist David Price wrote about the case in the August 10th edition of CounterPunch in an article titled, %u201CTrial by Investigation.%u201D See: http://www.counterpunch.org/price08102009.html
We, the undersigned, express support for Dr. Harper and request that independent bodies such as the American Association of University Professors, the American Anthropology Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology look into this matter.
Not familiar with all the details but an inquiry would be welcome.
As Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, I feel very strongly that the facts of this case need to be widely investigated by independent bodies interested in holding administrators accountable for deliberate process and not rushing to judgment. Only when people who believe in the importance of academic freedom stand together can we expect to preserve the importance of voices who cannot be silenced by money or threat.
The whole purpose for having a tenure and promotion process is that it protects faculty from situations precisely like this one. In the absence of union protection (hooray, "Right to Work" laws), it's all of our responsibility to make sure the University of TN follows their own rules.
The continued oppression of women scholars in the U.S. has reached a new low and one that ripples out to all. Also being a woman who has been terrorized with threats, accusations, and police actions on my own campus for daring to speak in support of minority faculty and against the war, I offer my sympathy for the pain I know well, my support in any way that it will be of help, and my solidarity. I hope that we can through these struggles build a strong web of defense for the many individuals now being targeted, our professions, and our civil rights. http://www.petitiononline.com/j4lc/petition.html
I greatly sympathize with Dr. Harper, whose story is parallel to mine. I was one of six assistant professors in three years to leave the UT Political Science department for positions elsewhere without going through the tenure process. This, even though my work had been cited to the US Supreme Court, it had been the centerpiece of an entire journal symposium, the PS students had voted me Teacher of the Year in 2005, and all four full professors in my sub-fields at research one universities as well as a majority of my tenured UT PS department colleagues supported me for tenure. This is to say nothing of the tragic story of Dr. George White in History. UT is a medieval institution, many of whose tenured faculty have narrow, insular, sub-disciplinary worldviews, and whose so-called "leaders" are petty liars and cheats who care nothing about due process or UT students. Unlike Dr. Harper, I was soon able to land a post at a great university that appreciates strong teaching as well as interdisciplinary publication. If she can use my testimony in her lawsuit, my e-mail is carcieri@sfsu.edu.
In solidarity
As a Tennessee faculty member I assess that gender discrimination is a likely root cause for the veritable witch hunt that ensued after Dr Harper reported sexual harassment. The statistics on the low numbers of (a) women faculty (b) women tenured and (c) women professors at UT underscore this. Women faculty everywhere should realize their stake in this matter. All faculty should be outraged at the double bind created when innuendo results in Homeland Security and FBI investigation that, unfounded, still compromised Harper's research and academic freedom, and culminated in her termination.
In support of Dr. Harper's cause and the protection of good and responsible academia from threats within as well as outside the universities.
Academic freedom and not arbitrary treatment in a bizarre patriarchal environment should prevail.
The logic of the Patriot Act working itself out -- a chilling prospect for everyone, but a scandalous breach of academic freedom, civil rights, and simple due process for Prof. Harper.
This "she was arrested, so she must have done something wrong"-logic is not surprising, when instead of constitutional rights we still have the Patriot Act; but isn't this the moment to put an end to this insanity?
I am saddened to learn that mob rule still carries the day among enlightened intellectuals within the university.
I worked closely with Dr. Harper during the final year of my undergraduate education at the University of Tennessee. I can't imagine why anyone would think of her as a threat: she is kind, intelligent, and dedicated to her profession. She never made any comments or remarks during my association with her that indicated any kind of threatening behavior and/or beliefs. I do not claim to know the full details of the situation, but I do know that the University of Tennessee has lost one of it's finest professors as a result.
Janice Harper was one a fellow graduate student at MSU and I remember her as a friendly and enthusiastic person. That the University system and the FBI should subject her to harassment is such a shame. I extend my support to her and to those who are mobilising to support her. A.R. Vasavi, National Institute of Advanced Studies, IISc Campus, Bangalore, INDIA.
Jacques Pollini
As a female faculty member who has experienced some of the same horrific mobbing behavior I can relate very much to Janice's plight...hang in there is all I can say and I wish you success in your court case.
It is crucial that universities support their faculty and stand up to the unfettered national security state.
This is an extraordinarily disturbing case on many different levels, but the developments related to the Homeland Security investigation should be of particular concern to all academics internationally, irrespective of their political views. There is a clear need for the rights of those who have been investigated and exonerated to be defended in a more robust manner through additional legislation.
This case illustrates clearly how (good) anthropological work is constrained by academic power structures. What is also disturbing about Dr Harper's ordeal is that, however specific to each university or region, such academic power structures are in turn enmeshed in larger, national and international, power structures. Regards, Alejandro Agudo Sanchíz, Universidad Iberoamericana-Mexico City.
As a PhD candidate in anthropology I am disappointed that Dr. Harper was unable to receive a fair tenure process. It is deeply troubling that she has been subjected to investigations which have essentially crippled her ability to continue her important research. All social scientists should speak out regarding these unfair practices. It might be your own "controversial" research or "non-collegial personality" that one day comes under scrutiny.
i am utterly appalled at the treatment of Dr Harper and horrified that such explicit discrimination has been carried out at a US university. Shame on you. Re-instating Dr Harper will send an important signal about the value of independent research, the importance of promoting women, and the need to reform the tenure-track system.
