The three things most troubling about Acadia University’s firing of psychology professor Rick Mehta are the secrecy surrounding Acadia’s decision, Acadia’s failure to address properly any valid complaint it might have received against Mehta’s teaching, and Acadia’s attack on freedom of expression on campus.
Because the firing is a personnel matter, Scott Roberts, a university spokesman, declined to comment or “provide any elaboration” on Mehta’s dismissal.
Keeping the reasons secret is troubling because unless they have good information on how the university interprets its rules and evaluates complaints, professors at Acadia will not know just where the boundaries are. Their ignorance and puzzlement will change their behaviour, making them more cautious and fearful in their teaching and talking.
Good teaching, though, requires professors to be natural and unaffected, and able to take risks. An insincere or mannered professor will not earn the trust of their students, and students need to trust their teacher if they are to investigate the world boldly and express their findings honestly.
Acadia’s refusal to explain why Mehta was fired also stymies the public’s ability to understand and have confidence in Acadia as an institution of higher learning.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1596858-opinion-professors-students-should-be-deeply-troubled-by-firing-of-rick-mehta
Interview
DZSURDZSA: In your statement regarding your dismissal you said that, “The real reason for my dismissal has to do with a culture war that is taking place in universities all over Canada and much of the Western world.” What do you exactly mean by the term “culture war” and who do you think are the main combatants?
MEHTA: When I use the term “culture war”, I am referring to the battle between those who have been taught and worked in universities being places where all ideas are freely exchanged and the newer school of thought that advocates for social justice. The purpose of social justice is to fight for the rights of so-called marginalized groups. The problem with social justice is that it does not allow for any nuance in its debates. As a consequence, regardless of what measures are taken, the rights of the groups labelled as victims can never be attained.
This problem arises because the debates are premised on emotions instead of logic or reason. As well, their arguments are based on premises that can never be proven false. For example, even if there is no formal finding of harassment or discrimination against a person, advocates for social justice will argue that there was “potential” harassment or discrimination. This example demonstrates that it is nearly impossible for anyone to win an argument with an advocate for social justice once that person has decided that disagreement with their position can be equated as a form of harassment or discrimination.
The main combatants in this culture war are a) the advocates for social justice – who are concentrated primarily in the arts and humanities, and b) those who teach in the traditional disciplines, e.g., math and chemistry, and are concentrated in the sciences.
DZSURDZSA: Is there any advice you have for other academics employed by universities who might sympathize with your views but are afraid that they too might risk losing their jobs?
MEHTA: I think that I ended up losing my job because the people who agreed with me stayed silent. For the other academics, I recommend that they form a group with other people who agree that universities should be places where all ideas can be discussed and debated. Once they form a group, they should start to speak out. In my case, it was easy for the university to fire me because I was standing alone. However, it would be much more difficult to fire a group of professors.
I would also encourage these other academics to think about the lessons that history has taught us, especially the costs of what happens when people think they need a critical mass before it is worthwhile to speak out and the lessons from past acts of civil disobedience. There are many positive role models to follow. Find at least one that you respect and try to emulate their actions.
https://www.thepostmillennial.com/millennial-interviews-professor-rick-mehta/
And from Vice News:
"Professor Fired Over ‘Free Speech’ Actually Fired For Being a Bad Professor"
The latest professor being exalted as a free speech martyr may have been fired for being an asshole who was bad at his job—not for his political views.
Rick Mehta, a tenured psychology professor at Acadia University in Nova Scotia was fired on August 31. Since then Mehta, who taught at the university since 2003, has made a lot of noise arguing that his axing was over his edgy and outspoken political views on sexual assault, multiculturalism, and residential schools.
Well, a letter outlining the reasons for his termination seems to tell a different story, one about a man who showed little regard for his students, the subject he was teaching, and his co-workers. The letter was reported meticulously and printed fully by CBC yesterday—you can read the article here and the letter here.
https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/8x7a74/professor-fired-over-free-speech-actually-fired-for-being-a-bad-professor
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