ACADEMIC FREEDOM ASSERTION IS DENIED

Academic freedom wasn't an issue in the firing of Southeast Missouri State University science professor David Stewart, a Faculty Senate committee concluded Wednesday.

The grievance committee also concluded that there was no evidence that university procedures had been violated in Stewart's case, said Terry Sutton, Faculty Senate chairman.

Sutton spoke to reporters following a one-hour, closed-door meeting of the senate, held in the University Center.

Sutton said the Faculty Senate accepted the committee report, but also agreed to appoint an ad hoc committee to look at issues raised in the Stewart case.

In particular, he said, the committee will review the appeals process for non-tenured faculty. The committee will report back to the senate at a special meeting this summer, Sutton said.

"Essentially, the senate decided it needs some kind of recommendation on how to proceed," said senator Rick Althaus.

Stewart has contended he was fired because of his perceived support of Iben Browning's earthquake prediction in 1990.

He was an associate professor of geosciences and director of the Center for Earthquake Studies at Southeast when the earthquake controversy erupted four years ago.

Stewart, who was terminated in May 1993 has appealed, asking that he be rehired and given tenure and back pay.

Reached by telephone following the Faculty Senate meeting, Stewart said he plans to sue the university before the end of May if he's not rehired.

"If it can't be done within the university, it will have to be done without," he said.

"My academic freedom was denied and due process was not followed and the whole grievance committee knows that," Stewart said.

While the grievance committee found no evidence that Stewart's academic freedom had been violated, it did say that the university administration might not have been truthful in stating that Stewart was terminated for insufficient professional growth, Sutton said.

Ed Williams, a geosciences professor at Southeast for more than three decades, has been a strong supporter of Stewart. He testified in behalf of Stewart at a closed-door hearing held by the grievance committee earlier this month.

Williams spoke to reporters after attending the Faculty Senate meeting. "I was floored that they reached the conclusion they did," he said.

Williams said several faculty members expressed concern about the fact that it took two years for the university to hold a hearing on Stewart's appeal.

Stewart was told in June 1992 that he would be terminated, effective at the end of the spring 1993 semester.

Williams said an appeals process needs to be handled in a timely manner and not dragged out for two years.

Williams said the grievance committee chairman didn't present the whole story to the senators.

He said that evidence that department chairman Nicholas Tibbs wanted Stewart fired because of the earthquake controversy was not reported to the senate.

"These people (faculty senators) don't have the information they need," said Williams.

"Why do people want to get rid of David?" he asked.

Williams said he believes Stewart's firing amounts to a denial of academic freedom. He said his former colleague received superior marks for his teaching and positive evaluations from the department chairman prior to the whole earthquake affair.

Williams said Stewart's supporters are not merely a handful of faculty members with questionable credentials. He said Stewart's supporters include longtime faculty members in the geosciences department, as well as Donald Froemsdorf, former dean of the College of Science and Technology at Southeast.