Dear Commons Community,
Making the rounds of several faculty LISTSERVs is the story of Kristofer Petersen-Overton, an adjunct professor scheduled to teach a course on Middle Eastern politics at Brooklyn College this semester. His appointment to teach this course was suddenly rescinded by the Brooklyn College administration after questions were raised about his credentials. What makes this action particularly troublesome is that Dov Hikind, a Democratic state assemblyman from Brooklyn, wrote to the college president and to CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein to express alarm about the “slanted nature” of this professor’s scholarship. The NY Times has picked up on this story and reported:
“In an interview, Mr. Hikind, who himself has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in political science from Brooklyn College, said he had spent 20 hours reading Mr. Petersen-Overton’s work and studying his Web site and syllabus. “Everything I read was incredibly one-sided,” Mr. Hikind said. “It was all about Israel being the bad guys in every way. He’s entitled to anything he wants to say, but if he’s going to go into a graduate course in my neighborhood, I just want a guy who’s going to be fair.”
Academic freedom versus political influence will probably get a lot of press over the next few weeks as supporters on both sides of the issue become more actively involved. More important is what will happen to Professor Petersen-Overton in all of this.
Tony
Dear Commons Community,
Below is the text of the letter sent by Brooklyn College President Karen Gould, regarding the reappointment of Professor Kris Petersen-Overton. This letter was made public so I do not believe that there is any problem with posting it here. I find some of President Gould’s language curious if not bizarre.
Tony
From: Karen L. Gould, President [bcpresident@brooklyn.cuny.edu]
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2011 8:50 PM
To: Brooklyn College Announcements
Subject: Appointment of Kristofer Petersen-Overton
Dear students, faculty, and staff,
Over the past several days, as a result of a provostial decision about an
adjunct appointment, Brooklyn College has been thrust into a debate about
academic freedom. This debate has been fueled at times by inflammatory rhetoric
and mischaracterization of the facts. It is unfortunate that matters of utmost
importance to our college community can be so rapidly co-opted by those with a
political agenda and distorted by the media.
I stand united with you: We must never allow decisions about our students’
education to be swayed by outside influence. In the matter at hand, this
certainly has not been the case. On behalf of every member of this institution,
I reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the principles of academic freedom,
faculty governance, and standards of excellence.
Today, the Department of Political Science and its appointments committee voted
unanimously to recommend Kristofer Petersen-Overton to teach a graduate course
on the Middle East. Based on information that has come to light, they are
confident he has sufficient depth of knowledge and the intellectual capacity to
successfully lead a graduate seminar. The provost now supports their
recommendation, and I am in full agreement.
Brooklyn College continues to have a strong commitment to academic freedom. As
one of the most diverse campuses in the United States, we value civil discourse
on even the most difficult topics. We believe that open, substantive dialogue
between those with different points of view is an essential component of a
21st-century education.
Equally essential are academic standards that ensure an excellent education for
all students at all levels. During this calendar year, we will work together as
faculty and administrators to ensure that our graduate programs are of the
highest caliber.
It is now time for us to come together as a community and welcome Mr.
Petersen-Overton to Brooklyn College. We wish him and his students a productive,
rewarding semester of graduate study.
Sincerely,
Karen L. Gould
President
Dear Commons Community,
Professor Petersen-Overton sent the following email today (January 31, 2011) that he has been rehired at Brooklyn College.
Tony
From: “Kristofer J. Petersen-Overton”
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:49:21 -0500
To:
Subject: Rehired!
Dear colleagues:
I just received phone call from Sally Bermanzohn and Mark Ungar informing me that Brooklyn College has decided to rehire me unconditionally! The administration will be making an official statement at 6.00 PM.
Thanks to everyone for their hard work and emotional support during this ordeal. It was a victory for academic freedom and an outcome I think we can all be proud of.
Sincerely,
-Kris