Contract not renewed for biology professor

Biology Professor Ken Roth's contract will not be renewed at the end of this school year, ending his nine-year employment at Eastern Mennonite University.

In a campus-wide e-mail, Roth informed the EMU community that on Dec. 19, Undergraduate Academic Dean Marie Morris told him that she would not recommend a contract renewal, citing "concerns about teaching effectiveness and scholarship." Roth decided not to appeal the situation citing the ineffectiveness he has seen in previous appeals claims, specifically in the case of former Theater Department Professor Paul Hildebrand. Due to the confidential nature of this matter, Morris was unable to comment on the situation.

"I am not at liberty to discuss personnel matters," Morris told editors in a Jan. 25 e-mail. She added that every year, in accordance with the policy in the Faculty/Staff Handbook, she conducts 10-20 contract reviews because of her position as academic dean. "It is not unusual that out of those there may be persons that are not recommended for renewal," Morris said.

Roth, who currently teaches Molecules for Cells, Immunology and Human Anatomy & Physiology, is in the final year of his contract, though he said he expected a three-year contract renewal at the end of this spring semester.

He believes that his non-renewal is a direct result of his views on homosexuality. "Gay or lesbian people can be both Christian and in a committed relationship, and I believe God looks favorably on those relationships even if they include sexual activity; just as God looks favorably on my relationship with my wife," said Roth.

Roth does not approve of all expressions of homosexuality; he finds that Christ-centered commitment in any relationship is a key factor in determining his views that "there are plenty of sinful heterosexual and homosexual examples."

In 2002, Roth wrote a letter for the Weather Vane that shared some of his views on homosexuality and their mistreatment. His goal was to get people to think and to question their beliefs. His written submission to this student newspaper came during the end of his previous three-year contract.

According to Roth, professors at EMU are first hired to three consecutive one-year contracts, followed by a three-year contract. After that, contracts generally go by five years, with academic reviews following each renewal.

His contract renewal after six years teaching at EMU was a three-year contract. The contract had specific regulations attached to it because of rigor concerns cited among faculty and improvement needed in other areas.

Roth was required to write a research paper, present it in a meeting and find a faculty mentor as part of his three-year contract. Roth failed to complete the paper, thus negating the possibility of a meeting. He also never found a faculty mentor since he felt that the four faculty members from his department were all mentors.

"It was a difficult environment," said Roth about his last three years at EMU. He felt that he was teaching for the faculty and administration and not for the students. "My course evaluations were good, either close or slightly below the mean," said Roth, who also said that his teaching ability was never in question before his 2002 letter for the Weather Vane. Roth said he is looking forward to teaching this semester because he no longer has anything to lose and can focus on the students.

"Watching my 15-year-old's shoulders slump when I told him my contract wasn't renewed was very difficult," said Roth, explaining how this situation affected his family. Roth also explained his contract situation to students in all of his first classes this semester.

As he prepares to leave EMU, Roth says it is the students he will miss the most. He would like to remain in the area with some sort of teaching position. Teaching is what he feels God has called him to do. In his campus-wide e-mail, Roth asked for prayers for his family as he looks for other ways to provide for them.

Barring significant changes in administration, Roth said he prefers "not to have the job back right now." He hopes that this situation does not make life awkward around campus and he welcomes communication of all sorts.