Tenure tensions: Duvall continues search for new job
Stefan Hvostik / Reporter
He unlocks his office door, apologizing for being late.
It’s been hard getting hold of Professor John Duvall
this semester. Next year, there will be no getting hold of
him at all — not at Elon anyway.
In March 2003, Duvall was denied tenure for failing to meet
faculty guidelines. In essence, he lost his job. For the past
year, Duvall has been teaching classes at Elon under the
pressure of unemployment. He has applied at 24 to 30 colleges
and been invited to many interviews, but so far he’s
gotten back nothing. Under this office’s fluorescent
light, John Duvall waits out his remaining days as a college
professor.
“I’ve wanted to be in film ever since I can
remember, since I was six,” said Duvall, sitting behind
his desk. He worked for 10 years in Hollywood, receiving
honors and awards. Never really liking Los Angeles, Duvall
sought out a different career. He wanted a job that was
kinder on his aging body. He was also looking for a chance to
complete the screenplays he had on the back burner. When Elon
contacted him, he thought it was the perfect place. His
co-workers at Elon admired his experience. Duvall remembers
he was attracted to the exciting prospects of growth the
university had to offer.
Fast forward seven years, however, and Duvall is packing up
his office.
“I’ve never had a complaint toward Elon until
this past year,” Duvall said. The job searching has
become a huge source of stress for the professor. He said he
has spent many hours fighting his battles: “It’s
been like teaching an extra class.” Duvall looks off
into the distance. When he tells the story of what he’s
been through this past year, he tells it like the story is
not his life. He tells it like a movie.
“I was caught off guard by the school’s decision.
I was confident that I deserved tenure. I felt I met the
requirements that had been given to me prior to my tenure
application.”
Tenure is a little bit complicated. Not even all teachers
understand it. It’s a concept created to protect
academic freedom. A professor granted tenure is indefinitely
guaranteed a job with the school. It is meant as a protection
for teachers by taking away the fear of being fired from the
classroom. But tenure is also a statement of quality. A
teacher with tenure deserves the job. Losing tenure means you
don’t. Professors denied tenure are asked to leave
within a year.
Many people participate in a tenure decision: a faculty
committee, the departmental dean, the provost, and ultimately
the Board of Trustees.
Duvall said he feels that he met professional development
expectations in the form of screenplays and video projects.
“I do not have a Ph.D., I have an M.F.A. (Master of
Fine Arts),” Duvall said. “I don’t write
research papers, I write original screenplays, and my work
had external validation.” One of his screenplays was
recognized in two national competitions, and the videos he
made for the United Way also received positive feedback.
“Also, my teaching was rated above average for both my
department and the university as a whole. That’s
supposed to be the first criterion for tenure.”
Duvall said that after he was denied tenure, he intended to
appeal the decision – the only chance a professor has
for seeking reconsideration. A professor who wins the appeal
may be given an extension of his tenure period.
Why didn’t Duvall appeal? He no longer wished to work
at Elon.
“If someone you work for indicates they don’t
want you there,” Duvall said, “you probably
won’t enjoy your job too much anymore.”
The university offers a yearlong severance to professors who
are denied tenure. Duvall has spent it writing his
screenplays, teaching his classes and looking for a new job.
In March, Duvall sent a letter of complaint to the American
Association of University Professors. The AAUP is a national
watchdog organization that protects the rights of university
faculty. The AAUP responded with a letter to the university,
citing several shortcomings in the tenure process.
“Ultimately I am doing the school a favor. If this
school faces up to its problems, there may be fairer
decisions and less complaints in the future.”
Now at age 54 and out of a job, Duvall faces a frightening
future. In the fall he may become the newest member of the
unemployed working class. He’s still interviewing for
jobs.
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