Letter to IU provost: AAUP exec committee decries lack of due process in firing of professor
In a letter to Indiana University provost Rahul Shrivastav, the executive committee of the Bloomington chapter of the American Association of University Professors (IUB-AAUP) has objected to the apparent termination of Xiaofeng Wang's tenured appointment in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering
In its letter, the committee says that such a termination would require the "highest level of scrutiny and due process," which Wang was not given, according to the committee's understanding. According to the letter, the relevant university policy is ACA-52.
Under ACA-52, "... the appointee to be dismissed shall be notified of dismissal in writing by the Provost/Chancellor or the President one year before the date the dismissal is to become effective, except that an appointee found responsible for serious personal misconduct may be dismissed upon shorter notice, but not on less than ten days' notice."
In addition, the policy says that a hearing is required to be held by a campus Faculty Board of Review.
According to the committee's letter, Wang's termination was made without the required notice and a hearing before the Faculty Board of Review.
The letter acknowledges news reports that Wang is under investigation by law enforcement and that the outcome of those investigations could impact Wang's continued appointment at the university. But the letter points out that the "mere fact of an investigation or of unadjudicated allegations" would not excuse noncompliance with the university's policies on termination. "It is fundamental that individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty," the letter states.
The letter asks that Shrivastav reverse Wang's termination, provide required notice and the required hearing, and report to the Bloomington Faculty Council at its next meeting that Shrivastav has taken those steps. The council meets next on April 8.
