The Scientist : NewsBlog Print: UNH makes offer to banned professor
The Scientist: NewsBlog:
UNH makes offer to banned professor
[Entry posted at 10th September 2007 02:04 PM GMT]

The University of New Hampshire sent a letter Friday (September 7) to the banned chair of the biochemistry and molecular biology department, saying that he can be reinstated but no longer as the chair of the department, a faculty member in the department just informed The Scientist.

As I reported in July, John Collins, who has been chair of the department for two years, was banned from campus on June 29, a day after kicking a trash can, yelling and making threats about another faculty member, Stacia Sower.

The letter came after an August 20 meeting between the university administration and Collins during which he presented several dozen affidavits from other faculty members regarding incidents each had had with Sower. Collins threatened to file a case and present the affidavits in federal court if the university did not reinstate him, apologize for their actions against him, and pay for all his legal fees.

In addition to losing the position of chair of the department, Collins would be required to write a formal letter of apology to the university provost and Sower, take an anger management class, and maintain a letter in his personal academic file outlining the incident.

Collins has confirmed this information but declined giving a formal quote until he has consulted with his lawyer.

Look for a complete updated news story soon...


 

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Not Scientific Gossip
by anonymous

[Comment posted 2007-09-12 11:48:10]
I disagree with the comment that this is nothing but scientific gossip. It is not gossip to the professor that has been kept from his work for nearly three months and has had his reputation in the community tarnished because of an enormous over reaction by someone who has been terrorizing the faculty for years. It is not gossip to his graduate student who has been without an advisor for the entire summer which is when most graduate students are able to make headway. It is not gossip to his colleagues who have had to take time away from their work to come to hearings to support him and to write petitions and demand meetings with deans and provosts to try to get the real problem- Stacia Sower- solved. It is not gossip to his children who live and go to school in the community who have had to deal with embarassing questions from their friends about their father.

This woman has made enemies all over the college. Her behavior has been at best overlooked by and at worst enabled by the administration for years. It is a relief to many that the story is finally beginning to trickle out. Thank you, The Scientist.

Anonymous


RE: "Sientific Gossip"
by Andrea Gawrylewski

[Comment posted 2007-09-11 09:56:36]
Dear Enquiring,
As the piece notes, after hearing from the faculty member at UNH I called Collins (the primary source) and he confirmed all the details, but didn't want to give a formal quote at that time.
Thanks for reading,
Andrea Gawrylewski
Staff writer
The Scientist


Sientific Gossip
by Enquiring Mind

[Comment posted 2007-09-11 08:24:43]
This is the most gossip-ridden "scientific" journal I have ever witnessed. Let's make sure I have this right. Somebody told you that Collins told him that the administration told Collins the story you are reporting. How far from primary source can we get? As long as I can read the National Enquirer for free at the checkout lines I think I'll pass on your journal.


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