Two months ago, Singapore's Nanyang Technological University provoked an angry response both at home and abroad by declining, for the second time, an application for tenure by the outstanding scholar and teacher Associate Professor Cherian George. NTU has now dried the ink on this disgraceful chapter by rejecting A/P George's appeal against this decision. Upon learning of this outcome, renowned academics from A/P George's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information have sent a letter of concern to NTU management asking them to clarify the tenure process at the university.
Below is a letter I sent to NTU leadership shortly after A/P George submitted his appeal.
Thank you for making this letter public. Are you ready for the avalanche?
ReplyDeleteA pre-tenure prof
Thank you so much for this :) (and other posts as well)
ReplyDeleteyou got cojones for sure - well done for describing the 400lb gorilla most of the tenure committee seem to have ignored
ReplyDeleteThank you for speaking up Prof Mark! Over four years, I had many tenured professors in NTU who could not even speak English properly. It is disturbing to hear that a good professor, a good lecturer has been denied tenure.
ReplyDelete- A concerned NTU student.
Bravo, bravo
ReplyDeleteBrave are those who stand up for humanity for they will be remembered
thank you prof
ReplyDeleteThank you for speaking up Mark. It is about time something as important as this is addressed. - An alumni
ReplyDeleteOne more reason to admire you, Prof. Mark!
ReplyDelete"There is no prosthetic for an amputated spirit"
ReplyDeleteIt's called principle
A Few Good Men ....indeed
So thankful that you (still) have the guts.
ReplyDelete- A tenured and concerned NTU prof.
I applaud your courage in taking up this important issue and openly discussing the apparent political intervention which has undermined the integrity of the supposed "peer-driven" review process by blatantly ignoring the assessment of the peer reviewers, including myself.
ReplyDeleteThumbs up Prof!
ReplyDeleteThank you for speaking up against what is a wrong and unjust act against an individual who does not deserve to be treated such by its own employer! I hope many more will stand up or speak out for CG. Shame on NTU! A bunch of losers doing someone else's bidding at the expense of not just CG but their own credibility.
ReplyDeleteDrivel from start to finish. Featherstone provides no evidence whatsoever that denial of tenure was due to outside political interference, beyond ipse dixit. Here's the sum total of his inference: "The truth . . . is . . . known to me."
ReplyDeleteLOL.
Specifics, Featherstone, instead of overwrought substance-free, rhetorical appeals to principle and inane comparisons to PSU.
The intended audience of the letter isn't the public, and certainly not you. The intended purpose of the letter isn't to build an accusation that has already been built many times before by others but remain unchallenged, only ignored.
DeleteEr, he sat on the committee and is attesting to what he experienced first hand. It's called witness evidence which is admissible in all societies which adhere to the rule of law.
DeleteUnless you are implying that he is lying, which would be a bizarre and utterly irrational thing for him to do given his position and what he stands to lose by making this letter public.
Ipse Dixit are OK, but the Dixie Chicks are much more to my taste.
Deleteagree 100%....NTU alumni.
Deleteagree......no evidence just opinion
DeleteThanks for stepping up Mark.
ReplyDeleteDear Prof Featherstone,
ReplyDeleteEver since you have taught us cancer biology, I have never forgotten you setting an exemplary example for people standing up against injustice, inequality, inequity and unfairness.
Thank you for speaking up for the rest of us - be it the student body of SBS, the student body of the entire university or whoever that has stepped foot in the university before.
why it takes a foreigner to save our bacon
ReplyDeletewhen our own kind is killing our very own
is there something wrong with Singaporean
don't be too self critical... there are already people doing something about it.... featherstone is another one helpful soul.....
Deletecannot stand people who keeps on using every single right just toa dd another wrong on teh notion of being Singaporean....
I do not know you Prof Featherstone, but it is heartening to note that a non-Singaporean is willing to step up and correct the wrong he sees with his peers, in his environment. It is sad that many a Singaporean prof who may claim to owe total allegiance to Singapore and NTU have showed no mettle in raising their voice against this issue. Thank you for caring. - a Singaporean and NTU Alumnus.
ReplyDeleteRespect for standing up for the injustice.
ReplyDeleteThis is indeed something that shall not go down in history as something that "only the shadow knows" =)
ReplyDeleteSplendidly written Prof ! Proud to had been your student !
Dear Prof Featherstone,
ReplyDeleteThank you for speaking up about issues that concern faculty and students and relate to the drive to search for truth and produce new forms of knowledge. This is not a unique issue to Singapore - if NTU seeks to play the 'world class university" game it has to recognize and play by the rules of the game.
Some other relevant letters and entries:
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/05/02/singaporean-scholars-raise-concerns-about-controversial-tenure-denial
http://www.insidehighered.com/sites/default/server_files/files/Letter%20re%20Cherian%20%281%29.pdf
http://spuddings.net/2013/03/11/a-letter-from-professor-theodore-glasser/
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/globalhighered/replacing-ap-george-nanyang-technological-university
Once again, another reason to admire u prof Featherstone!
ReplyDelete-SBS graduate.
As a fellow NTU academic who was fortunate to clear PT1 I applaud you Mark for writing such an excellent letter. A visiting academic once said to me that he observed the management style in NTU was based on fear with P&T being the weapon of choice.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, this entire issue brings out the totally ill-managed aspect of NTU in terms of disrespecting the professionalism of professors and ego of the top management. The top management use tenure and promotion as a mean to press people to work more even though they have already made the yardstick of tenured professors and full professors elsewhere in the world - US or Europe.
ReplyDeleteThank you for caring and voicing out Prof. Coming from a soft science part of the same university, there are really many instances of discrepancies in espoused vs. enacted actions. Unsurprisingly, those who disagreed left, those who agree stay; serving a self-reinforcing system of non-self-critical constituents...
ReplyDeleteSo why I stay? Because I was sold a lie about the PhD process in my school, and being taken advantage of by tenure eager Asst Prof even from another school. Sad... Leaving soon...
I am so glad you are in NTU's top echelons as a beacon of ethical awareness... Thank you! Please do not be one of them Prof. You are one of our hope...
Kudos to Prof Featherstone! I'll always remember you as my favourite lecturer and I truly enjoyed your lectures when I was a student at SBS. Your sense of humour and perfect spoken English had made cancer biology such an interesting module to attend. SBS definitely needs more quality lecturers like you and please continue to share your knowledge with fellow future SBS students.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Students can tell who are the better lecturers who have genuine passion in teaching. You are definitely one of them! We all know and not just the shadows (lifted from your joke.."only the shadow knows"). Amid all, I'm still puzzled as to why you did not continue your post as the dean of SBS :(
Hi, just to share some insider info. The rumour was that Prof Featherstone was asked to step down as the Chair of SBS. It is a mystery why a professor that is guiding SBS to a proper direction has been asked to step down. It really let us wonder what is the criteria that NTU uses to recruit top management.
DeleteHave another insider info to share. Top levels favor recruiting "yes man" or those who will dance to their tune. Easier to make for them to make decisions (for their best interests of course) based on votes.
DeleteProf Featherstone was always considered a "wild card" because they could not predict whether he'll go along with or protest against the clique. So yes, the rumor is probably right imho.
Dear Prof Featherstone,
ReplyDeleteMy heart has just sank after reading your letter and checking out SBS' organization page.
As a sophomore, I have been looking forward to hearing from you and learning from you beyond just academic lectures. It takes an exceptional amount of moral courage and humility to write such a balanced and inspiring letter with all due respect to parties involved. I would like to let you know, Sir, that you have inspired me and you have definitely rallied young minds and hearts no matter the circumstances.
Sir, your letter shall serve as a compass to which I will tactfully navigate my position as an aspiring scientist while staying true to the idealism and ethos of contributing to humanity - just as some of our most beloved predecessors did against the odds during their brief moment of time in history.
I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart, dear Sir. I am looking forward to your writings and news.
Yours Sincerely,
Raphael S.
s.blackpegasus@gmail.com
thank you Mark.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I only had one lecture taught by you, I have to say that you are the pro in teaching! And I have heard about similar things you have done before. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to know there are still those willing to stand for something. Bravo, sir. I am proud to have been your student.
ReplyDeleteDear Prof Featherstone,
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this letter. I do not know you personally, but thank you for writing this letter and standing up for the students.
Bravo Sir! Nuff said.
ReplyDeleteHi Prof Mark,
ReplyDeleteI and my buddies worked in NTU sometime ago, where we realised something was not "quite right" with the university so yes, we can attest to that too.
Seriously, thank you for speaking up. Most people here can't or won't due to fear of reprisal and yes, I have personally witnessed good ethical people being driven off because they refused to dance to the tune of those others.
Writing here in full support of your letter, and just to say your words are indeed meaningful. By trying, at least one will have no regrets even if things do not turn out as have hoped. Sure beats the "why didn't I try" which will haunt the minds of those cowards who didn't even try years later, when they or their loved ones experience a similar injustice.
Thanks for posting this.This is awesome!!
ReplyDeleteHi Mr Featherstone,
ReplyDeleteIn the name of freedom of speech which you apparently embrace wholeheartedly, I cant help but to write this. Judging from the comments above, I applaud you for being a good lecturer in your professional field.
But, I cannot agreed with your assertion of support for A/P Cherian George. You may be right ideologically to think that university professor should enjoy no respect of boundary in their field of professionalism. In real life, I am afraid you are looking through a thick layer of fog. In the case of Cherian (from his passionate postings), it would seems to me that he is not only using the social media, but more so his revered position in NTU, to advance a political course. If I were the head of NTU, I am not sure I would condone such conduct as it fringes on conflict of interest.
I grow up from a generation and culture which believes in "talk less, do more". If you have the passion and conviction to bring good to the people, than use the appropriate platform to advance your ideology. Make yourself know loud and clear - stand up for the elections and be scrutinized by the people. Would you find Abraham Lincoln a great man if he had talked more and done less, instead of fighting his way to stand up and make a real difference to the life of the American people?
In vulnerable Singapore, it is not about mere ideology but how ideology should be put into practice in real life.
And for your information, this is so far the one and only public online comment I made in my life!
Jerry
Dear Jerry,
DeleteI appreciate that you have made a first foray into online comments on this blog. I respect much, indeed all of what you write, though I do not agree. I concur that many times doing is better than talking. But in some professions, talking and doing are one and the same, and nowhere more so than in the field of communication. That is the nature of the discipline.
It is also unavoidable that studies in the field of communication will sometimes overlap with political issues. As you note, freedom of speech is one such area. Political issues are a legitimate field of academic inquiry. After all, you can get a degree in political science. (Please note that I distinguish politically relevant research from political campaigning.)
Last, I would highlight the key issue here. NTU proclaims to one and all that the tenure process is purely a peer-driven academic exercise. However, if NTU has denied tenure to Prof George because of his perceived political activity, then it has not adhered to its own policies and values. If the political fallout of Prof George's scholarly work was offensive to NTU, then the appropriate course of action would be to hold an inquiry. But for tenure, there are only three criteria: Are you a good scholar? Are you a good teacher? Are you a good citizen of the university? Nothing else matters...that is to say, nothing else is supposed to matter.
Back to grant writing.
Best wishes,
Mark
If NTU top posts are elected posts, there will not be many that can survive in the election. Singapore is changing and NTU also need a change - in terms of changing the management style. A true leader can motivate people to work, not to bring fear to people to work. This tenure case is a good lesson for the top management to learn - how to become a true top rated university with a conscience and soul, not just by the numbers.
Delete15 minutes of fame lah.... enjoy!!
DeleteJerry seems to imply that CG is wrong to use the social media to further his political activity. Why is that wrong? If he is passionate, and a concerned citizen, about societal and political issues it would be odd that he does not take issues with them through what he does best. And you are not specific about how is he using his tenure with NTU to advance his political course? You have probably not read his past articles that were balanced about local politics and policies that were considered right and/or wrong, or good and bad policies. He wrote to warn about his concerns that the direction and policies has on our society, and that is not acceptable? If we take your logic to its natural conclusion, then - you seem to imply that one should not comment publicly through any social media, and refrain from any political discourse while working in any organisation, not least a public institution such as NTU. You don't see how contrived and arbitrary your perspective is? What you are saying is simply this - CG should just go about his life and work mutely? because Jerry and NTU do not think it acceptable for him to do otherwise?!
Deleteprof mark you mean back to job application right.
DeleteHa ha. Maybe soon enough. Are you hiring?
DeleteThank you Professor for your kind and brave act.
ReplyDeleteFirst they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
ReplyDeleteBecause I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.
(Martin Niemöller: "First they came for the Socialists...")
I salute your courage Sir!
Dear Prof. Featherstone,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this.
Regards,
Leslie Wee
I appreciate your courage very much, as an insider.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do wonder whether the real story isn't simply that Singapore-focused research is highly unlikely to get you tenure at a Singaporean university. The fact is, conditional on the same quality of research, if you're writing on Singaporean topics as a social scientist or humanities scholar, you are simply very unlikely to get recognition from the top people in the field.
I'm not trying to belittle the scholars who have written in support of Cherian George, or his own body of work. I'm no field expert, but it seems based on scholar citations that he has had real impact, which is more than what many others can say!
But might the outcome have been different if his references had been from higher tier institutions? (For example, would you really say that you would have been very comfortable tenuring someone in the physical / natural sciences if their references were from the same institutions, and if their work wasn't hitting the top journals?) And isn't it quite unrealistic to expect that the leading scholars in social sciences, humanities, and communications, would care much about research on Singapore?
I believe you must have encountered this issue regarding other scholars who work on Singapore and regional topics in social sciences/humanities in your time on the P&T committee. And surely you are aware of other similar cases. Just because those cases may not have had a political overtone doesn't mean that they also didn't get tenure in part because they chose to work on Singaporean issues, and as a result had weaker academic references and backgrounds than they might have had if they chose to work on other topics.
Again, I think many insiders appreciate your frankness very much. But without some proof that this was indeed orchestrated by other forces, for me the more plausible story is simply the difficulty of getting any high level international recognition for being an expert on Singapore issues. And to me that is truly sad - that we can have what we call a world-class university system where there is simply no incentive for doing good work studying ourselves as a nation and people.
In fact, Singaporean issues have a high priority at NTU and with the government as evidenced by the money being committed to such projects. Even in the arts, NTU has hired in the area of South East Asian literature which, on a global scale, could be called quite local. But it's still of great interest and relevant to who we are as a university.
DeleteAs for the international reviewers on Cherian George's case, it would be incorrect and most unfair to suggest that they do not have international clout. They were chosen as reviewers precisely because of their international credentials and ability to speak authoritatively on Cherian George's dossier. I would also note that Prof George's former PhD supervisor has weighed in heavily on this issue, and he is at Stanford. His strongly positive opinion of Prof George should not be discounted simply because he is a former mentor. He is under no obligation to risk his reputation by publicly volunteering his support for someone who doesn't deserve it. In other words, he means what he says, that Prof George is world class. See this link:
http://spuddings.net/2013/03/11/a-letter-from-professor-theodore-glasser/
I appreciate your reply and your thoughts very much. I believe that you are being forthright in stating that NTU places high priority on Singaporean issues. However, NTU also places high priority on top publications and international impact, which is hard to get if you study Singapore topics. (Indeed, I'm not sure if you fully appreciate this difficulty - just as I do not fully appreciate the publication process in the physical and natural sciences)
DeleteI'm afraid that as I am an insider and not tenured I will decline to speak openly, but I stand by my argument that it is frankly difficult to attain recognition from leading international authorities when one works in social sciences, humanities, and related fields, and one studies Singapore / South East Asia. My former colleagues have suffered for this - one was an expert on the Singapore (fill in the field), but his work simply could not be published in the leading international journals.
If he had been an expert on the U.S. (fill in the field) I have little doubt that he would have been publishing in journals of a tier higher, and he would've stood a much better chance of clearing the bar.
But for what it's worth, that is one data point, and you have probably seen more. I saw your updated post, so I leave it to you to judge whether this message will add to the conversation, or whether it's best just left for your own consumption.
Happy to publish a well-reasoned and reasonable response. :)
DeleteThis episode only serves to remind me of a another sad story in NTU.
ReplyDeleteI know of a former NTU professor who has a PhD from Cambridge. Used to be an Associate Professor in School of Computer Engineering. In fact, the said professor was awarded the Nanyang Excellence Award in Teaching in Year 2005.
If you ask me, he does not have any political leanings at all. Yet, the professor eventually left as the contract was not renewed.
As far as I am concerned,
1) No political leanings:
Does not rock the boat. Mostly will not get into trouble. But look at point (2).....
2) Contract not renewed: Why would the University lose someone who is educated in Cambridge baffles me...On what grounds?
3) As far as I know, he was well-liked by students for his good teaching.
I can only say that for a university that claims to be world class, the tenure system for sure, is not world class for sure.
I may not have studied in WKWSCI, but this concerns fellow NTU students.
I may not have known Cherian George, but this is injustice.
It also cements my personal reason for not donating to iGave when I graduated.
And also, I never signed up with NTU Alumni.
The tenure process at NTU is very tough, but it is generally fair in that the same stringent demands are applied to everyone...almost. It is often criticized as being unfair because of the very high expectations with regard to teaching performance, but I think that is a reasonable requirement given our role in the community.
DeleteOf course, I cannot know the details of the case you mention, but I can tell you that having a degree from Cambridge is no guarantee of getting tenure, nor should it be. A good degree and excellent post-doctoral work will get you appointed at NTU. But to get tenure, you've got to excel in teaching and research. One or the other will not do. I am comfortable with that so long as the same criteria are transparently applied to all. This has not been the case with Cherian George.
I'm sure there are many more talents than vacancies available. It might also be a re-focussing of priorities at the top level (e.g. injection of new blood for more variety of styles/ideas, start-up of new departments/centres, reinforcement of resources at departments/centres doing well, downsizing of less productive departments/centres - all of which are frequent affairs in the private sector, so I'm not too alarmed). Of course it would have been nice for the relevant review board/committee member to give early notice and explain why a certain candidate is turned down, but I don't think it's an obligation. Kudos to everyone who has done someone to aid in impartiality being served, especially Prof Featherstone's scholarly letter. Let's hope for a re-appeal that adheres to the designated (gazetted) P&T criteria for Prof George.
ReplyDeleteDear Mark,
ReplyDeleteI applaud you for your courage in lending your support to this and consequently risking your position too.
Much has been said so far, but wouldn't the right step now be to put forward a formal inquiry?
Who are the exact people in charge of making this decision at NTU? Names need to be listed
Who are the ones exerting influence over this? If measures are taken to investigate we will all soon find out wouldn't we?
NTU claims this to be a peer-driven process but it has been shown it is exactly not that.
I will be following this closely and I hope someone with the means is able to spearhead an initiative like this.
Dear Professor Mark Featherstone,
ReplyDeleteI commend your courage and righteousness. I always knew you were someone who would stand up for what is right. That is why I approached you when I had some problems obtaining my undergraduate degree.
Thank you for being a role model to us, and for encouraging us to be more proactive in our learning and more critical in our thinking. Singapore needs more "leaders" like you. I wish you the best.
With my best regards,
J
P.S: Enjoy the "Bao Zi"
Dear Prof. Featherstone,
ReplyDeleteI am delighted by your sense of ethics and your courage in doing this.
But I'm very puzzled about why this letter hasn't made news in the local papers and why the NTU President has not responded to your claims.
Could you throw light on this? Is this their strategy to limit the damage caused by your letter?
M
I'm afraid I have no insight into this. The only mainstream media outlet that has picked it up is Yahoo! Singapore, so far as I know.
Delete