Regents
(Continued from Page 1
Department. The faculty member has .
been denied a review by a tenure com-
mittee, and subsequent appeals by the
Senate Advisory Review Committee
(SARC) also have been rejected by the
department and the college.
LSA senior Jack Hall spoke on behalf
of SSSC. "In Joel Samoff, the Univer-
sity has a professor of unqualified ex-
cellence in both teaching and service to
the community and to the University. It
seems unquestionable to us that
Professor Samoff is qualified for
tenure," Hall said.
Hall said many signatures had been
collected on petitions in support of
Samoff from both faculty and students,
and that it would be a disservice to the
University to lose such a respected
educator.
HALL ASKED that the Regents
review Samoff's case themselves,
should the LSA Executive Committee
fail to recommend Samoff for tenure.
Carolyn Somerville, a political scien-
ce graduate student, said the loss of
Samoff would cripple the department's
"subfield" of Political Economy
because no permanent replacement for
the professor has been found.
"The department's decision (tenure
denial) indicates cogently their shor-
tsightedness and total lack of concern
for student input, concerns, and,
ultimately, their education," Somer-
ville said.
ALTHOUGH THE Regents made no
formal response to the presentations by
members of SSSC, Interim University
President Allan Smith said it was
unlikely that the Regents would act on
such a request.
"In general, the Regents' role is to be
sure to establish a tenure process that
is satisfactory," said Smith. "For them
to reach down and interfere in a par-
ticular case is unlikely. It would indeed

The Michigan Daily-Friday, May 18, 1979-Page 17
hear contract, tenure requests

be an almost incredible act to grant
someone tenure who has been denied
(it) in the normal process."
However, SSSC member Heidi Got-
tfried said the tenure process in
Samoff's case has not been satisfactory
and meetings with LSA Dean Billy Frye
have been unproductive.
"FRYE WOULDN'T give us any in-
formation on the process," said Got-
tfried. "We think that once the (LSA)
Executive Committee makes its
decision, it should make all information
in the case public."
Gottfried also said there have been
discussions between students and
Samoff about filing a suit against the
University, but that no action will be
taken until after May 31, when Samoff's
contract with the political science
department is terminated.
In the tenure review request by
SACUA for an Engineering College
faculty member, Corpron said the
demand was admittedly an unusual
solicitation, but that both SARC and
SACUA members felt it was necessary.
"WE THINK that it (the faculty
member's reappointment) should be
reviewed by an independent group
within the department," Corpron said.
The SACUA chairman reported that
the person in question was told at the
end of his second year of a two-year
reappointment that he would have a
one-year terminal appointment without
opportunity to be evaluated by a
customary tenure review committee.
Although no mention was made of any
deficiencies in the person's abilities,
subsequent appeals for reversal of the
initial decision were denied by the
department and the College of
Engineering.
SARC and SACUA recently voted to
request another review because "no
substantial argument has vet been ad-

vanced under the three headings of "To direct an appointment which has
research, teaching, and service that the been rejected is rare," said Smith. "By
person has not performed in a way that and large, it is overactivity by gover-
generally warrants the assessment by a ning bodies which causes great dif-
tenure review committee." ficulties in issues of tenure. Decisions
"THIS IS A highly unusual request," by governing boards in these cases are
said Regent Robert Nederlander (D- likely to be political."
Birmingham). "For the Regents to in-
terfere in this matter could cause all
kinds of problems. We have to respect OSTRICH ANYONE?
the decisions of schools and colleges." PARIS (AP)-Paris fashion houses
Smith said he is uncertain what ac- are going all out for ostrich leather, im-
tion, if any, the Regents would take on porters of the skins report.
the issue, but said board members The leather is being used to create a
would probably discuss it before wide variety of clothing from coats to
today's meeting. belts and boots.