Zucker Tenure Debacle

We gravely regret the Faculty Committee on Tenure's decision to deny Dr. Ross Zucker tenure.

On the substantive question of Dr. Zucker's quality of instruction and academic merit, we here report with unwavering confidence that he is among the most accomplished, talented academicians the College has to offer. Dr. Zucker has an impressive record of scholarly publication. His lectures are a sort of theoretical poetry, an intellectual nirvana for the soul of the seeking political science/philosophy student. Dr. Zucker evidences a mastery of the subject matter that he presents in his classes. His preparedness assures that his lectures are both thorough and clear. Dr. Zucker's broad understanding of political science and its many related concerns enables him to be responsive to student ideas and questions.

Dr. Zucker has the rare ability to blend complex subject matter with engaging and cogent presentation. His dynamic lectures make accessible to his students even the most esoteric of texts.

Dr. Zucker is not limited to presenting the ideas of others in his courses. Dr. Zucker's independent research allows him to present innovative, original ideas that enhance the quality of his classes. This in turn fosters in his students an appreciation for the power of ideas and, importantly, a desire to develop their own.

To his students, Dr. Zucker is not just a talented professor concerned only with his research, rather he is a warm, approachable man who shows real concern for his students' academic and personal development. Dr. Zucker provides his students with his home phone number and encourages them to make use of it. He is available to students well beyond office hours and is even wiling to meet with them over the weekend. His relationship with students continues well beyond their days at Yeshiva University.

These considerations incline us to question the foundation for the Committee on Tenure's denial of Dr. Zucker's bid for tenure. We do not believe reasons of substance may be legitimately said to be responsible for the decision. It is scarcely a secret that contention exists among some members of the College's faculty. If, as some pundits have speculated, the Committee on Tenure's findings were in some way obscured by personal calculations peripheral to the College's interest in academic quality, we are most disappointed. We lament that one of Yeshiva College's finest professors may fall prey to the politicized machinations of a system that serves only the interests of an entrenched upper echelon of graying academic dinosaurs rather than those who would advance the pursuit of meaningful scholarship at this university.

Related Articles:

• Dr. Zucker Denied Tenure
• Students Defend Zucker