Turbulent SEAS

A letter written by faculty members of the School of Engineering and Applied Science calling for Dean Feniosky Peña-Mora’s replacement came as a shock at the end of a tumultuous semester. While much time has been spent analyzing and discussing the resignation of former Columbia College Dean Michele Moody-Adams, SEAS hasn’t escaped administrative catastrophe.
In a letter published by the New York Times on Wednesday, a majority of SEAS faculty expressed numerous and severe grievances, claiming that “irreparable damage—including loss of key faculty and complete alienation of those who remain” would occur if Peña-Mora remained dean. The faculty’s intense rhetoric surprised students, who largely view him in a positive light and had little previous knowledge of dissatisfaction among the faculty.

But upon reading the letter, the concerns of the faculty appear imminent and real. The mandate increasing the size of the school’s Master’s program is especially disconcerting given the fact that SEAS is attempting to secure its place as a top-notch engineering school. While many of the changes Peña-Mora has instituted have brought notable faculty—and funds—to SEAS, the letter directed criticism towards his hiring practices. Choosing candidates with a primary focus on funding that prospective faculty could bring to SEAS, is, as the faculty noted, against their and the University’s academic outlook.

In addition to specific criticisms, what underlies all of the faculty’s criticisms is a sense that the Dean does not share the same understanding of the University’s values. Peña-Mora’s perceived emphasis on funding rather than on scholarship, his commitment to increasing class sizes despite a lack of space, and his apparent focus on research at the expense of teaching, suggest that his approach to academia differs significantly from that of the faculty. While miscommunication also seems to contribute significantly to faculty’s grievances, there is not enough information to comment further.

What is evident, however, is that Columbia’s faculty is made up of some of the brightest, most intellectually oriented academics in the world. The fact that a majority (though the exact percentage is contested) of the SEAS faculty signed this letter of no confidence indicates that something is seriously amiss. We trust in the faculty’s ability to mediate conflicts and judge the actions of an administrator when it seriously impacts their departments and scholarship.

Furthermore, the fact that this letter was released in a critical point in Mayor Bloomberg’s engineering competition underlies the immediacy of the problem. Many of the faculty members who helped compose the letter were also involved in drafting Columbia’s proposal for the grant.

The University’s response thus far has indicated support for Peña-Mora and not for the faculty. Interim Provost John Coatsworth told the New York Times that “none of the complaints that we’ve received rise to the level that would justify replacing a dean” while also calling the faculty concerns “perfectly legitimate,” in seeming contradiction. If the faculty concerns are valid, then action must be taken to remedy the situation.

Though the faculty calls for a swift replacement, the University doesn’t seem likely to fire Peña-Mora—at least for the time being. SEAS has instituted an Executive Vice Dean position to address some of the faculty’s concerns. However, it’s unclear whether this will be enough to alleviate the situation. If faculty members start leaving due to frustration with Peña-Mora and the University’s reluctance to fire him, SEAS will slip in the rankings and will lose its place as a rising engineering school.

Instead of taking immediate and drastic action—like firing Peña-Mora—the University should discuss these issues as a community. The grievances should be aired and debated publicly, and the University should come to a consensus as to what course of action is best for SEAS and Columbia as a whole. We share the SEAS faculty’s deep concern over the problems disclosed in the letter, and realize that a mutually beneficial solution may not be feasible. However, Dean Peña-Mora and the rest of Columbia’s administration should be prepared to take extraordinary steps to remedy the situation.