Letter to the Editor: Thanks to a Valued Professor

It was exactly two years ago that I wrote to The Weather Vane with gratitude for faculty who were "the most compassionate, available, and dedicated to their students." It was written for the professors at EMU who invite their students to their homes, who take the time to sit and talk about the complexity of life, who take interest in students' extracurricular activities, hopes and dreams.

I am writing two years later as an alumna to highlight one professor whose contract has not been renewed after a decade of service to the Harrisonburg community, Eastern Mennonite University, and the EMU body of students. That professor is Ken Roth.

Looking back at my time at EMU, I think fondly of Ken and the three or so classes I took with him. I learned a great deal, enjoyed them a great deal, but also found much more than the knowledge each class required me to learn. I found a professor who truly was interested in engaging with each of his students. Ken came to our sporting events, participated in local activities, and shared his family and his entire community with his students. This was at a level above and beyond my other professors and even my own academic advisor.

If I may add just a word to the administration, I am aware of what it means to do research. I understand the benefit of that 'type' of professor as I deal with a few of them now in medical school. However, it does not foster a positive atmosphere. It does not encourage growth. And most importantly, it does not give a young, developing student the confidence and capability necessary to attain their goals. A prestigious, research-minded, demanding professor is equally as academically inhibiting as the 'easy', 'ineffective' professors that you are attempting to prune. It must be the fine balance between the two and I encourage you to take a very careful look at who may have this balance.

I look back fondly on EMU, but I have many questions now as to the motivation for retaining and releasing certain professors. MU is not known for groundbreaking research, Nobel Laureates, or prestigious and famous graduates. It is known for the community on campus, for invested interest by both students and professors alike, for the interactions, the connections, and the well-developed open minds that have been fostered in each of its students. These things are all found in and created by professors like Ken Roth. I am sorry to see, what I felt was most beneficial and appreciated at EMU, being let go.

There are five EMU grads in my immediate family, yet I still question where will I encourage my future children to attend in twenty-some years. What is the future of EMU? If it is shaped purely for academics, tougher classes, and professors who demand greatly of their students, I will likely just send them to Harvard.

So what was the reason for Ken's contract termination? It was stated by the administration as "concerns about teaching effectiveness and scholarship". I think as an MD candidate in medical school, I can fairly say that Ken's teachings were more than enough to effectively prepare me, and more importantly inspire me to want to learn more. Ken, thank you.

-Laura Rosenberger