Administrative Actions

The documents posted here are divided into the following groups. First, there are two pieces that provide one with an overview of Administrative actions. The first is a guest opinion piece in the local Boulder newspaper, the Daily Camera, written by a recently retired, and much esteemed colleague, Wes Morriston, which focuses specifically on the Administration’s treatment of the Philosophy Department. The second, and much longer piece, by James Murphy, contains a very comprehensive account of the Administration’s actions in which, first of all, the relation between those actions and the very significant worry by the Administration about the University’s possibly being found in violation of Title IX is clearly set out, and then, secondly, the cases involving three members of the Philosophy Department - namely, Professors David Barnett, Dan Kaufmann, and Brad Monton – are clearly set out and discussed, together with the case of a Sociology Professor, Professor Patricia Adler.

Secondly, there are articles related to the Administration’s current attempt to fire my colleague, Professor David Barnett.

Thirdly another colleague, Professor Dan Kaufman, was suspended from teaching, and barred from campus, for a substantial period during the Spring Semester of 2014. Articles from Boulder’s Daily Camera detail that action on the part of the Administration.

Fourthly, another of my colleagues, Professor Brad Monton, commented on the Site Visit Report and on some of the actions by the Administration at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Boulder Faculty Assembly. I have posted both the original minutes of that meeting, which included his remarks, and the revised minutes, with the comments in question removed.

Finally, the problematic actions of the Administration have not been confined to the Philosophy Department. In particular, there is the treatment by the Administration of a member in the Sociology Department, Professor Patricia Adler, which arose out of a prostitution skit in a course that she taught in the Fall Semester of 2013 – a course that she had taught for many years, without any complaint. As a result of her treatment by the Administration, Professor Adler decided to retire.

In retrospect, it is unfortunate that Professor Adler did not sue the University. But the cost of such an action would have been very substantial, and, in addition, such a course of action would have been both very time consuming, and also potentially very risky, since the University has immense resources, and, in addition to having its own team of lawyers, is also willing to employ outside lawyers – as it has done in its attempt to fire Professor David Barnett.

The Administration and the Philosophy Department

1. "Reckless CU administration leaves philosophy department shell-shocked" – Wes Morriston

2. "The Colorado Sex Scandal: How Ideology, Incompetence, and Abuse of Power Ruined a Great Department" – James Murphy

David Barnett

1. "CU-Boulder moves to fire professor accused of retaliating against sexual assault victim" – Sarah Kuta, Boulder Daily Camera

2. "Students defend CU-Boulder philosophy professor under fire as 'excellent teacher'" – Sarah Kuta, Boulder Daily Camera

3. "David Barnett, professor at center of termination battle, seeks $2M from CU-Boulder " – Sarah Kuta, Boulder Daily Camera

4. "CU-Boulder prof Alison Jaggar had concerns about retaliation more than a year ago " – Sarah Kuta, Boulder Daily Camera

Dan Kaufman

1. "CU-Boulder philosophy professor on leave, barred from campus" – Sarah Kuta, Boulder Daily Camera

The Forced Retraction of Professor Brad Monton's Comments

In a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Boulder Faculty Assembly on February 3, 2014, Professor Brad Monton made some fairly mild critical comments on the Site Visit Report, and on the Administration's treatment of the Department of Philosophy. Those comments are summarized in the minutes of that meeting that were originally posted on the Boulder Faculty Assembly website, and which are posted below. Severe pressure was then brought to bear upon Professor Monton, which led to his agreeing to his remarks. The result can be seen in the revised minutes of that meeting, which are now posted on the Boulder Faculty Assembly website, and which are available below.

In the case of the original minutes, in the section entitled "Philosophy Department Update," one finds the sentence "Insight into what happened within the department of Philosophy," followed by Brad Monton's comments. In the revised, post-retraction minutes, what one finds at that point is instead, "Insight was given into what happened within the Department of Philosophy by Brad Monton. [Those comments were retracted from these minutes.]"

1. The Original Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Boulder Faculty Assembly on February 3, 2014

2. The Revised Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Boulder Faculty Assembly on February 3, 2014

The Administration and its Claim to Have Itself Requested the Site Visit

1. "Violations by the Site Visit Team of its Written Agreement with the Philosophy Department" – Michael Tooley

The Patti Adler Affair

1. "Should one protest when a colleague is badly mistreated?" – James Murphy

2. "Professor Patricia Adler and the University of Colorado" – Sarah Bright

3. The Report of the Boulder Faculty Assembly on the Patricia Adler Case

    (a) The Report of the Boulder Faculty Assembly

    (b) Appendices to the Report

    (c) Executive Summary of the Report

4. "Levitt: At CU, Faculty Groups Have Become Administration Lackeys" – Paul Levitt