Two Education Teachers Resign

By the end of this semester, EMU's Education Department will lose two faculty members. Jean Roth Hawk, Professor of Teacher Education, and Luke Hartman, Instructor in Teacher Education, have both submitted their resignations.

Hawk has taught at EMU for a total of 10 years, from 1988-1990 and from 1996 to the present. She is the sister of Associate Professor of Biology Ken Roth, whose contract was not renewed this year. According to Hawk, Roth was treated differently after he spoke out in support of homosexuality. Hawk resigned in part because of "disappointment about policies and procedures" surrounding that situation. She said Roth viewed EMU as a place he was called to, and it was very difficult for her to watch him "get beaten down." Hawk said that although she did not always agree with Roth, she feels that issues should be talked about openly.

Hawk hopes that now there will "more awareness for how it feels" to be treated the way her brother was. She also said she wishes that more attention would be paid to the reasons people leave EMU. There is not necessarily a good way of gathering that information, she said, but "people need to know and people need to care." In an institution that is struggling, non-renewals and dismissals are not always personal, said Hawk, "the financial situation makes it harder." Hawk said she is open to talking to students about her resignation.

Hartman has been a part of the Education Department at EMU for two years, and is currently working on his doctorate at Virginia Tech. He is resigning because he feels that EMU "has a system in place for faculty that's better if you have a Ph.D." It is difficult, he said, to both work full time and get a doctorate. Mennonite higher education is very important to Hartman-he has been working in Mennonite higher education for the past 10 years. He said he feels that it is time to take what he has learned and use it in the public sector. However, he does not want to sever his ties with EMU. He hopes to continue teaching graduate classes here in the summer, and wants to leave "the door open for future employment" once he obtains his Ph.D.

Once he is done at EMU, Hartman will be working as an educational consultant for the city of Harrisonburg's public schools, consulting mainly with teachers who work with autistic children. He said that his new job will offer him greater opportunity for support in getting his doctorate.

Hawk and Hartman said they have enjoyed being part of an outstanding department. It has been nice, Hawk said, to work in a place with such a good reputation. Hartman said it "has been a privilege to work under the leadership of Loren Swartzendruber and to be part of a reputable education department." What he enjoys most is "being able to share what I'm passionate about with others." Hartman said he will miss direct interaction with his colleagues and the "mental stimulation" he receives on a daily basis. Hawk, who shares an office with fellow education professor Sandy Brownscombe, said she will miss the friendships she has in the Education Department. There are many "really good people here," she said, students and faculty.

Both Hawk and Hartman said that they recognize that teachers are replaceable. They are part of a department that is one of the best in the state, and will leave a strong core of teachers behind. They are two professors that have a passion for advocating diversity and multi-cultural education. Also, both hope to leave an impact on the students they have taught. "I have formed many close relationships with students," Hartman said, "and I know what impact they will have on me."