<p>Beware! The Lehigh business school has problems…</p>
<p>Leadership makes asinine decisions, like letting go of one of their best and most popular accounting professors for no good reason.</p>
<p>I refer you to the “Brown and White.”</p>
<p><a href=“http://bw.lehigh.edu/story.asp?ID=19725[/url]”>http://bw.lehigh.edu/story.asp?ID=19725</a></p>
<p>I want to warn all of you people looking to come to Lehigh in the fall.</p>
<p>Here’s another “Brown and White” letter, same subject:</p>
<p><a href=“http://bw.lehigh.edu/story.asp?ID=19763[/url]”>http://bw.lehigh.edu/story.asp?ID=19763</a> </p>
<p>Lehigh, listen up! Students need great professors who are knowledgeable, can speak English, and care about their students! </p>
<p>Very stupid move! Other universities and big businesses have now heard about this faux pax, and they have inundated Professor Steve with spectacular offers. This is a great loss for Lehigh and speaks volumes to the ineptitude of the provost and the powers that be. If anyone deserves tenure, it is Professor Steve.</p>
<p>Professor Steve has a lot of support from alumni and business contacts - some big donors around the country - and when certain school donations stop coming, maybe they’ll get their heads out of their a** and apologize and beg Steve to stay, although as I understand it, these tenure decisions are never reversed. </p>
<p>For all of you biz majors who will never get to have Professor Steve as a teacher, I feel sorry for you…</p>
<p>We visited Lehigh recently and had a chance to have lunch with business professors. We asked about this after seeing it in the school newspaper. The professor said that the faculty in the business school were not happy about Steve not getting tenure. Apparently, Lehigh is trying to get the BS ranking up, and part of the criteria is where faculty memebers publish (and Steve did not publish in the elite publications). The BS does not have a dean right now, so leadership is an issue. Overall, we go the impression that the business school at Lehigh was pretty good - but confused about future direction. My son chose Smeal (PSU) over Lehigh since he is in two honors programs there (Schreyer and Mitte) along with generous scholarships. I agree that anyone considering Lehigh for business should ask tough questions. Seems like they have their act together for Eng but I’m not sure about business.</p>
<p>Good for you for asking about it! I think all students looking at colleges should read the school newspapers, many of which are available online like the Brown and White.</p>
<p>However, I think you were given some inaccurate information.</p>
<p>As I understand it, Professor Steve had great quality (not quantity) research published in top notch publications, as opposed to lots of crap research published in lots of 3rd rate pubs. The provost was looking for volume, not quality, and that’s where they say he fell short in his application for tenure. </p>
<p>The provost had never even met Professor Steve before making this decision! How absurd is that?</p>
<p>Yes, the business school supports Professor Steve and does not agree with the provost’s decision, but it is all behind the scenes. I don’t think anyone is willing to stick their own necks out and risk their own jobs to support him.</p>
<p>I recently heard that there are 2 pending lawsuits against Lehigh re: tenure decisions in the last couple years (not in the business school). So that’s one reason why tuition will be going up!</p>
<p>The only explanation I have heard that makes any sense is that in these cases where a new dean of a school will be coming in, the provost likes to have faculty positions open. It is a plus when luring new deans. “Look, there are lots of open faculty positions that you will get to fill with people that you want under you!” </p>
<p>Good luck at Penn State!</p>
<p>Despite the above warning, the latest Business Week rankings place the Lehigh undergraduate business school at 18th nationally…</p>
<p><a href=“http://bwnt.businessweek.com/bschools/undergraduate/06rankings/[/url]”>http://bwnt.businessweek.com/bschools/undergraduate/06rankings/</a></p>
<p>Business Week commented that the strong accounting program at Lehigh is impressive. Guess what - - Professor Steve helped make it into such a strong program! Where’s the love, Lehigh? The provost was dead wrong in thinking that students wouldn’t care if one of their favorite professors was canned. “Students for Steve” is a growing movement on (and off) campus!</p>
<p>Bizmajor, I appreciate your loyalty toward your professor, but, honestly, students don’t understand how complicated the tenure process is and what is required to get through it. When I was an undergrad, I too was outraged when a favorite professor was denied tenure. However, now that I understand the workings of academia, I realize exactly why it happened. Don’t be so quick to say that the letting go of one professor ruins an entire business school. It is never that simple.</p>
<p>Despite the common perception, professors do not just teach. Their jobs have requirements that go beyond publishing even. Schools that value teaching (as Lehigh says it does) count teaching as a component of the tenure process, whereas big research universities won’t count it at all, but it is NEVER the only criterium. Likewise, publishing is never the only criterium. Professors must be active members of several committees, reach out to the academic world beyond their schools, make positive contributions to the university as a whole - and many other things. They must be respected not only by their colleagues in the school but also on the national level. Tenure is not given on potential but rather on achievement. Usually the tenured faculty of the individual’s department, the faculty of the school, the dean, the provost, and finally, the trustees must each approve the tenure request. At each level, the requirements get more stringent.</p>
<p>Remember what tenure is: lifetime guaranteed employment. Universities cannot offer this opportunity lightly.</p>
<p>Again, I’m sorry you’re losing a beloved professor. I know what it feels like.</p>
<p>Thanks for your comments.</p>
<p>However, we are not giving up the fight. A petition is being circulated (has hundreds of signatures), and we plan to meet with the provost on Friday to voice our concerns.</p>
<p>Students should stand up for what they believe in, and we believe in Professor Steve! Even if it doesn’t make any difference in the end, this is the good fight - and the right thing to do.</p>
<p>Here is a link to a 2001 “Brown and White” article about the ever popular Professor Steve:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bw.lehigh.edu/story.asp?ID=14617[/url]”>http://www.bw.lehigh.edu/story.asp?ID=14617</a></p>