13 lecturers fired at Kean University including nearly half of the General Education School

By Joshua Rosario | Published April 22, 2019

Ten of Kean University’s 21 General Education lecturers who advise and oversee about half of the freshmen class as well as teach will be let go this summer and were not given a reason.

The group of GE lecturers let go consist of all four of the GE lecturers in English, two of the GE math lecturers, three lecturers who teach research and technology and one who teaches GE-1000-3000. GE lecturers advise and teach all incoming freshmen, undeclared majors and transfer students.

Heather Connors and Straubel Cetoute, lecturers for three years and Kean University alumni said they believe the School of General Studies was targeted because they publicly criticized a controversial move to open office space, which they thought could jeopardize federal FERPA rules.

“If I’m talking to you about [how] you’re failing the course, guess who hears you?” said Connors.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) grants students certain rights, privileges and protections relative to individually identifiable student education rec­ords maintained by Kean University.

“We’re not going to comment on individual personnel recommendations,” said University Spokesperson Margaret McCorry. “Each lecturer contract is reviewed carefully and equitably to determine whether it will be renewed for the maximum educational benefit of our students.”

The majority of the people terminated in GE are either women and/or people of color, according to several people who pointed it out. All three of the male African-American lecturers in GE received notices.

New Jersey Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-27th district) issued a letter on April 18 to President Dawood Farahi and the Board of Trustees on behalf of the lecturers.

“I write to respectfully request reconsideration of what I believe to be an ill advised decision to not renew the contracts of a significant number of your professional staff and lecturers,” said Jasey in the letter. “I find it concerning that virtually all of the non-renewals which have already taken place are women and people of color.”

Based on numbers from the university, a total of 13 lecturers were not reappointed, including the 10 GE lecturers.

“To the best of my knowledge all of them got very strong reviews from their immediate supervisors and were recommended to be retained by their supervisors and their dean,” said Kean Federation of Teachers President James Castiglione.

Additionally, four professional staff with multi-year contracts have been let go as well, Castiglione said. All four (who are not in GE) are Latina.

“A total of 130 Kean USA lecturers are seeking reappointment. The President is recommending reappointment of 117, or 90 percent, to the Board of Trustees,” said McCorry.

The GE lecturers first raised the problems of moving from second-floor offices to a large open space on the first floor of the Center of Academic Success room 111 a year ago as soon as they heard about it. They met with Dr. Suzanne Bousquet, associate provost.

“This is really the first time as a department we spoke back and said this isn’t going to work for our students, having discussions with them about grades, having discussions with them about things that are happening in their personal lives, this isn’t going to be conducive to grading, this isn’t going to be conducive to prepping,” said Connors.

Later, they also met with College of Liberal Arts Dean Jonathan Mercantini. After nothing changed, several GE lecturers became more involved with the KFT about the issue and speaking up at its meetings. In October 2018, The Tower published a front-page story about the issue. Then at a prescheduled mandatory luncheon with Farahi and Dr. Jeffrey Toney, Kean’s chief academic officer, on Oct. 26, 2018 they voiced their concerns directly.

“The big thing is, and this is what’s important, is the president had asked, ‘so how do you like the new space?”’ Connors said of the lunch with Farahi. “One of the lecturers, [and] I won’t name that person, initially said we don’t like it and followed up with the problems.”

Connors stated she spoke out next and then soon others followed, leading to a 40-minute discussion. Every person who participated in this conversation was not reappointed, they said.

“With all the things we spoke about,” said Cetoute, “all the president took out of this was, ‘Oh, so you guys need your office back?”’  “He even asked, ‘if you…never had an office before, would you have the same sentiments [about] the open space and the cubicles?”’

On Dec. 17, the lecturers received a letter from Toney personalized to each and stating “In our efforts to continue our investment in General Education, it’s faculty and our students, I am happy to announce that any lecturer returning to us in the Fall of 2019 will have their salary increased.”

Connors said she had excellent evaluations by students, and also had done a lot of service for the university.

“Why would [Farahi] let me be a part of building a textbook for the English department? Why would you approve my travel for a national conference?” said Connors.

Neither Connors nor Cetoute had any disciplinary issues and both had fulfilled all of Kean’s faculty requirements, they said.

The university had just approved travel funds for Connors and Cetoute was already offered overload pay for extra teaching duties for next fall. Duties like those are only given to faculty that Kean’s administration decides is in good standing.

Two students contacted The Tower with concerns.

“This makes me feel angry, to be quite honest,” said Gianna Lepanto, a freshman majoring in English Studies. “It feels like these layoffs are coming out of nowhere, that while the school invests time and money in the construction of new buildings they’re not making it a priority to invest time and money into these professors who have students’ best interests in mind and work with students, especially new students, on a day to day basis.”

Some of the lecturers not reappointed have decided to announce to students through email they will not be returning. One lecturer posted his frustration on Facebook after announcing they will not be returning.

“No reason given either, other than our names simply would not be put forward to the BOT, in boldface, Times New Roman. Like we ain’t shit,” said the lecturer in reference to being let go. “This [is] arguably being done in guise of what is in the best interest of the students of course, and while it would have been nice to be a part of what is in the best interest of students, I damn sure do not want any parts of it if it isn’t.”

On Dec. 17, the university sent an email to the KFT expressing concern about being at “grave risk” of losing talented faculty, specifically mentioning General Education lecturers, to other job opportunities. The email also discussed a salary increase for the lecturers in the fall.

“This ridiculous abuse currently being committed by the administration should be exterminated with consideration to whether President Dawood Farahi should be allowed to continue in his position when he so clearly does not have the students best interests at the forefront of his mind when conducting his duties,” said Kean student Morgan Nees.

The KFT is trying to overturn the layoffs and will hold a walkout and rally on May 6 outside Kean Hall in advance of the university’s Board of Trustees meeting.

“We believe the student voice will be a powerful contributor to overturning these illegitimate terminations of lecturers and professional staff,” said Castiglione.

According to Kean University, a lecturer is a non-tenure track full-time employee who teaches and provides student and learning support services. Ten-month lecturers teach 30 credits per year; twelve-month lecturers teach 39 credits per year. This position is renewed on an annual basis.

“I actually cried two times,” said Nazira Goldware, a marketing major after finding out her favorite professors were let go.

The university does not consider them for tenure and requires them to produce lengthy folders every year in order to be considered for reappointment. Kean has been rapidly increasing its lecturer appointments while reducing the number of tenured faculty at the Union campus.

“I am really angry with the university because it seems like they don’t really care,” said Andrew Chang, supply chain management major.

 

Correction: Previously stated there were four male African-American lecturers there are three male African- American lecturers 

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