The chair of UW's sociology department has taken
disciplinary action against a faculty member, Dr. Ken
Westhues, after a dispute that started with a graduate
student's oral examination last November.
     In response, Westhues has filed a grievance against
the chair, Dr. Ron Lambert, and a related grievance against
most of the other faculty members in the sociology
department.
     And one faculty member, Dr. Adie Nelson, has filed a
complaint against Westhues under UW's ethical behaviour
policy.
     Only Westhues has told his side of the dispute, which
is aired in a six-page letter addressed to a University of
Guelph colleague. That letter has been distributed both
inside UW and elsewhere, with a cover letter from the
Guelph faculty member addressed to "Dear Colleague and
Friend of Ken Westhues".
     Westhues told the Gazette last week that he doesn't
want to add to the story told in that letter.
     It describes a series of conversations that took place
after one of Westhues's graduate students failed an oral
comprehensive exam in November. Nelson - who is identified
in Westhues's letter as "Jane Jones" - was the chair of the
examining committee. Westhues angrily protested the
committee's decision about the student. He later offered a
qualified apology for the way he had expressed himself.
     He says that he was subsequently accused of
"sanctimonious, bullying and uncollegial behaviour" and
that most of the other members of the sociology department
signed letters to Lambert asking that he be disciplined.
     He says the chair wrote to him February 14 imposing
three penalties: a letter of reprimand, an "unsatisfactory"
assessment in his 1993 performance review, and suspension
from "further graduate responsibilities in this Department
until 1 January 1998".
     The Gazette asked Lambert to confirm that he had taken
the disciplinary action Westhues describes. He responded in
writing: "I have imposed sanctions and I reject his account
of events in the letter.
     "As Chair of the Department, it would be improper at
this time for me to discuss the events that led to the
sanctions.
     "The sanctions are the subject of a complaint by
Westhues against me under UW Policy #63 (Faculty
Grievances).
     "He has also filed complaints against all of the
graduate faculty in the Department, with the sole exception
of Professor Adie Nelson.
     "For her part, Professor Nelson has named Westhues in
a complaint under Policy #33 (Ethical Behaviour)."
     Nelson also confirmed that she had filed a complaint.
     "Person A" and "Person B" in a recent report from the
faculty association's committee on academic freedom and
tenure cvan be identified as Westhues and Nelson.
     In that report committee chair Dr. Roman Dubinski,
says, "The Committee has advised me to continue offering
advice and assistance to Person A and to monitor the
process of the grievance.É
     "The Committee is prepared to offer assistance to
Person B and to any other member involved in this matter,
if its assistance is requested."