The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, April 3, 1987 Page: 1 of 24
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Volume 74, Number 26
Rice's most serious newspaper
April 3, 1987
Martin denied tenure despite support ofjPstLLdents
by Lisa Gray
The Rice Board of Governors
voted not to grant tenure to
Biology Professor Joseph Martin
at its March 27 meeting. Students
had demonstrated support for
Martin's case earlier this semester
through a petition, a large number
of student letters in his support,
and a non-violent march in which
175 students participated.
"No tenure, no promotions,
nothing. Those are the harsh
realities," Martin said Monday.
Martin's contract with Rice runs
through July 1988. He said he has
no other plans as of yet.
Students have presented
Martin's case as a conflict between
the relative values of teaching and
research at Rice. "We do not
intend to disparage the importance
of research and publication, but
believe that exceptions in the
traditional tenure system should
be made for those who are
outstandingly gifted at passing on
knowledge to others," declared a
letter signed by several hundred
students.
Martin was not endorsed for
promotion to a tenured position by
the Biology Department in
October. In February, the
University Council followed the
Biology Department's recommen-
dation, also deciding not to
promote Martin.
"In the view of the committee,
scholarship has always been
critical, teaching very important,
and service expected," the
Promotion and Tenure Committee
of the University Council wrote
April 1 in a letter to the editor of
the Thresher (see page 3).
Paula Burch, a biology graduate
student working under Martin,
said that contrary to the beliefs of
many undergraduates, Martin's
research "ranks with the best
research of the [biology]
department." She said that six of
Martin's papers on oxygen radical
toxicity have been accepted by
journals this semester.
Burch also said his research has
been praised by those reviewing
the articles before publication.
"The letters of acceptance have
things like, 'This study represents a
new dimension in oxygen
toxicity,' " she said.
Burch added that Martin may
have been handicapped by a lack
of research assistants and a heavy
teaching load. "Joe has the
heaviest teaching load imagi-
nable," she said. "And he takes his
teaching seriously. He loses ten
pounds every year teaching
Introductory Bio."
Biology Professor Charles
Stewart pointed out that Martin's
papers had not been accepted for
publication when the biology
department made its decision in
October, and that they still have
not appeared in print. He said,
though, "I would not be surprised
if [Burch's reports of the favorable
reviews of Martin's articles] were
correct. It certainly is true that Joe
has accomplished some consider-
able research."
"The objection raised to it was
that it was basically too little, too
late," Stewart said.
Stewart added that he thinks
Martin should have been
promoted on the merit of his
teaching. "My position has always
been that he should have been
promoted even if his research was
not substantial. In fact, his
research productivity is
substantial."
According to Ronald Sass, head
of the Biology Department and a
member of the University
Council's Promotion and Tenure
Committee, the decision not to
give Martin tenure was difficult.
"Almost to a person, the people
who have considered the case of
Joe Martin are compassionately
interested in him," Sass said. "He's
being judged by friends."
Sass said there is no specific
publication requirement for tenure
in his department. "Every case is
an individual case. The tenure
decision is the decision of a lot of
people, bo*h internal and
external. . . . It's hard to pin
see Tenure, page 6
Students say Martin should get tenure
—M. Thomas
Howard Baker speaks to Rice associates 30th Beer Bike
by Scott Snyder
President Reagan's newly-
appointed chief of staff Howard
Baker addressed about 500 people
at the annual black-tie University
Associates dinner held for Rice's
most generous benefactors on
Thursday, March 26.
The Board of Governors invites
selected supporters of the
university to become Rice
Associates in return for an
unrestricted $20,000 commitment
to the university over a span of ten
years. There are presently about
475 Rice Associates.
The Development Office mailed
invitations announcing Baker as
the dinner's speaker two days prior
to his selection as Reagan's new
chief of staff, but because of his
appointment, the office did not
know for sure whether he would
attend until the late afternoon of
the day before the dinner.
"When you invite government
officials or politicians to speak,
there is always some risk that
they'll have to cancel, but we Ve not
had anyone in that situation in
some years," said Development
Staff Director Linda Bramlett,
who organi zed the dinner. "I was
worried about whether he'd make
it until the minute I saw him walk
through the door."
J. Evans Atwell, a Board of
Governors member who is
managing partner of the Vinson
Elkins law firm which Baker joined
after leaving the Senate in 1984,
was instrumental in inviting Baker
and introduced him at the dinner.
Baker spoke about his decision
to accept the position of chief of
staff, outlined the history of his
relationship with President
Reagan, emphasized his
confidence in the Presidept, and
discussed Reagan policies and
urograms which he hoped to help
mplement in the rest of Reagan's
"It's sometimes said that men
and women of the world and of this
nation as well have three
fundamental fears in this nuclear
age. You're afraid of getting blown
up, you're afraid of getting sick,
and you're afraid of losing your
job, and that's a gross
oversimplification but in those
categories of concern you can draw
out almost every other domestic
and policy issue that confronts our
country."
To remedy these fears, Baker
discussed three Reagan admini-
stration goals including the
reduction of numbers of nuclear
weapons in negotiations with the
Soviet Unioij^ the administration's
catastrophic illness plan to reduce
public health care costs, and
revitali zation of the free enterprise
system in order to stimulate the
see Baker, page 6
Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Alumni Race
Time (min:sec)
15:32
17:07
17:31
17:35
17:41
18:03
25:27
25:38
April fools
mJi
Prank victims wait for Beverly Hills Cop 2 preview ,
-H. Turner
Will Rice
Baker
Hanszen
Lovett
Wiess
Jones
SRC/Brown
8 GSA
Women's Race.
Team Time (min:sec)
1 Will Rice 16:02
2 Hanzen 16:44
3-Lovett 16:50
4 Brown 17:21
5 Wiess 17:34
6 Jones 17:52
7 Baker 18:08
Men's Race
Team Time (min:sec)
\ Lovett 23:03
2 Will Rice 23:16
3 Baker 23:35
4 Hanszen 23:48
5 Sid Rich 23:50
6 GSA 24:50
7 Jones* 24:55
8 Wiess 25:42
♦Includes 5 second track penalty
added at the end of the race.
See story, page 14
IN-SIDE:
• Tenure explanation, p. 2
• Sammy statements, p. 3
• RMC gets ATM, p. 5
• The minor proposal, p 9
• College drama, pp. 10-11
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Greene, Spencer. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, April 3, 1987, newspaper, April 3, 1987; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245663/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.