The Emeritus Charade
Donald K. Wedding, UT-AAUP Executive Board
Faculty planning to retire may be disappointed if they expect to receive an honorary Emeritus rank. For years the Emeritus rank has been awarded to faculty and administrative retirees for years of service to The University of Toledo. Even trustees have been awarded Emeritus rank. In recent years, it has become political and is becoming more so, particularly under President Lloyd Jacobs. The following are examples of how Emeritus rank has been tainted at The University of Toledo.
Example I
Professor A was retiring when it was discovered that he had been awarding extra credit grade points to students who contributed to his "charity" which turned out to be his personal bank account. For years the professor had been collecting contributions from his students and fellow faculty members. I personally contributed many times. The student contributions came to light when a parent complained that her son did not receive the grade the student paid for. Because Professor A was six weeks from retirement, his punishment was to refund $100 to the student and to be denied Emeritus rank. Professor A was a former department chair and a so-called Outstanding Teacher with the usual administrative connections. After he retired, he was quietly awarded the Emeritus rank.
Example II
Professor C received a copy of a National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal from Professor B who was retiring after 30 years. The proposal originally came from Harvard University and had been funded by the NSF. Professor C replaced the name "Harvard University" with "The University of Toledo" and submitted the proposal to the NSF, receiving $500,000 in funding. Professor B's name was on the front cover of the proposal, but the signature block was empty. Professor B had retired and moved to Florida. Later a supplemental proposal was submitted to the NSF and an additional $100,000 was received. Professor B's forged signature appeared on the face of the supplemental proposal.
Four years after the NSF funding, Harvard discovered the plagiarism and complained to the NSF. A research misconduct investigation panel was convened at UT. Professor C testified that Professor B was innocent of any wrong doing. In a written opinion, the investigation panel found Professor B innocent, but recommended certain penalties for Professor C including the loss of his Distinguished Professorship. Professor C then changed his story, asked for a rehearing, and testified a second time that Professor B was the guilty party. Without calling Professor B back to campus, the investigative panel recommended that Professor B lose his Emeritus rank. The Board of Trustees revoked the Emeritus rank of Professor B. Recently Professor C retired and was awarded Emeritus rank.
Example III
Professor D was suspended for 30 days without pay based on false allegations that he had violated certain UT policies. Professor D is active in the UT-AAUP and was personally singled out by the Jacobs Administration. Although he was not paid, Professor D continued to teach and work with his graduate students. The arbitration is scheduled for this summer. Yes, President Jacobs will be subpoenaed to appear. Meanwhile Professor D is retiring and has been told that he will not receive Emeritus rank unless he agrees to drop the arbitration. The arbitration is not being dropped. It will continue.
Many retirees have reported that their applications for Emeritus rank have quietly disappeared in the administrative pipeline. Retirees not receiving Emeritus rank include many faculty with over 30 years service, some with 35 years or more. Several are former chairs of the Faculty Senate. There is a common denominator. Almost all were active in the UT-AAUP. The Emeritus rank is being handed-out to those favored by the Jacobs Administration, but not to those who have offended President Jacobs or his disciples.
The Emeritus charade is one of many reasons why the University of Toledo is academically ranked at the bottom of the 4th quartile. If we are to become a quality university worthy of continued support by Ohio and its taxpayers, there must be academic excellence and integrity at all levels up to President Lloyd Jacobs, especially President Jacobs.
Academic quality and integrity are lacking at The University of Toledo. Like so much else at UT, the granting of Emeritus rank has become a charade, an academic embarrassment. We have reached another Jacobs Administration academic low-point where UT faculty who retire after a professional lifetime dedicated to this institution and its students, are treated reprehensibly by a vindictive Administration.
