University denies professor tenure

The Latino Leadership Council launched a campaign today to protest the University's denial of tenure for one of the Latino community's favorite professors, said LLC co-director Mary Gonzalez, an ethnic studies senior.

According to a statement by the LLC, the University's actions do not support its pro-diversity work, such as establishing the new vice provost of cross-cultural effectiveness position.

"If the administration is going to say that we're going to value diversity all the time and then obviously deny tenure to one of the most influential professors, it's ridiculous," Gonzalez said. "We just want to know why they did it and for the hypocrisy to stop."

According to an LLC statement, Barbara Robles, assistant professor of public affairs, was approved for tenure by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, but the approval was overturned in January by the final review committee, which includes UT President Larry Faulkner, Vice Provost Sheldon Eckland-Olson, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Victoria Rodriguez and Vice President for Research Juan Sanchez.

Faulkner, Eckland-Olson, Rodriguez and Sanchez will be receiving more than 100 letters each from students from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today requesting a re-evaluation of Robles' tenure application and of the tenure process and "how it affects faculty of color," Gonzalez said.

The letters ask the administrators to respond with a time and place to meet with the LLC by March 15.

"We're asking students to personally deliver [the letters] so [the review committee] can actually see the faces of the people who are being negatively affected by these types of policies," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said the LLC will take further action if the University does not respond to its requests.

Members of the tenure committee were unavailable for comment on Robles' tenure case.

"If you look at our record of promotion, it will support [diversity]," Eckland-Olson said.

Robles is one of two Latinas in the LBJ school and one of three professors in the nation who focuses on Latino economic issues, according to the LLC statement. She also established the Latino Financial Issues Program, which is an undergraduate program that focuses on research and helps students land internships for non-profit government agencies. The LFIP will be at risk without Robles' instruction, the LLC said.

Gonzalez said the LLC discussed its actions with Robles before commencing their letter campaign.

As a former student of Robles, Rosalinda Ruiz, co-director of UTLatinos.com and ethnic studies senior, said future generations should not be denied the opportunity to benefit from Robles' work.

"We viewed it as slap in the face," Ruiz said. "We know her personally, and we wanted the administration to know that we're not going to sit here and let them tell us that they value diversity if they're going to act differently."