Weekly Briefing: A Tenure Denial's Aftermath

The decision can influence every relationship in a scholar's life. It's a domino effect. ADVERTISEMENT [Weekly Briefing Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now read The Chronicle on [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. A Tenure Denial’s Aftermath Rogério Meireles Pinto’s story is a common one. In 2014, he was denied tenure at Columbia University, an institution where he had studied and taught since 2000. Today he’s a tenured professor and associate dean of social work at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. But before he took that position, the Columbia denial took a physical, emotional, and intellectual toll. At the time, Pinto (above) was told that he had a strong case for tenure. He was supported by the entire faculty, and 13 outside letters backed him. He’d spent nine years working at the university and never suspected that anything was off. The denial was a shock. [He recounted his experience to our Megan Zahneis](. Megan told his story using the as-told-to format, instead of a traditional interview or article. The format lets sources have more agency, especially when they are disclosing sensitive information. Megan didn’t write the story to rehash the details of Pinto’s case, but to show the complete toll of his tenure denial. He appealed the decision to the University Senate. He alleged “significant procedural violations” in how his tenure bid was handled, and he said his academic freedom had been violated. He also said he’d faced a “clear and consistent pattern of retaliation, harassment, and discrimination” from the dean of social work and other administrators. The senate’s faculty-affairs committee concluded its investigation and rejected the three claims, according to documents Pinto shared with The Chronicle. But the appeals process was important because it allowed him to document his own story of what happened. And it gave him access to information he wouldn’t otherwise have been able to see, given the secrecy of tenure consideration. Pinto worked at Columbia for a year after his denial. He kept attending faculty and committee meetings. He continued his research. But no one called to ask how he was coping. He noticed that other assistant professors, and people he mentored, stopped coming near him after his appeal. Outside of the institution, every one of his relationships suffered. The denial had a domino effect. Pinto accepted a job as an associate professor at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 2015. The following year he was granted tenure. [Read his full story here](. ADVERTISEMENT Lagniappe. Programming note: This is the last newsletter of the year. The Weekly Briefing will be back on Saturday, January 7, 2023. Have a restful holiday, and thank you for reading! - Read. Hospice care is a $22-billion industry in this country. [How did we get here?]( (The New Yorker) - Listen. [This is the story]( a start-up company that promised to provide access for mental-health services. It became the subject of a federal investigation. (Spotify) —Fernanda REGISTER NOW [Join us January 9-27]( for a virtual professional development program on overcoming the challenges of the department chair role and creating a strategic vision for individual and departmental growth. [Reserve your spot today!]( Chronicle Top Reads NAVIGATING THE STRIKE [‘It’s a Mess’: U. of California Grades Are Due Soon, and Professors Are Struggling]( By Carolyn Kuimelis and Grace Mayer [STORY IMAGE]( A monthlong strike involving thousands of teaching assistants has forced universities to make contingency plans. THE REVIEW | OPINION [FIRE Is Wrong About FIRE]( By Jeffrey Sachs [STORY IMAGE]( Too often, the organization misses the forest for the trees. 'A GREAT HONOR' [Harvard Appoints a Black Woman as President]( By Oyin Adedoyin [STORY IMAGE]( The university named Claudine Gay, its dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, its 30th president on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Building a Faculty That Flourishes]( [Building a Faculty That Flourishes]( Colleges and universities cannot be successful without vibrant and engaged faculties. Now is the time to figure out sustainable ways to recruit, support, and diversify the faculty. [Order your copy today.]( NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2022 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037