Fire Professor or Lose Funds, Columbia Alumni Say

Columbia Spectator ^ | 04/03/03 | Margaret Hunt Gram

[Jeff Head]

Some alumni donors are pressuring the president's office and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations to fire Professor Nicholas De Genova for statements he made in last week's anti-war teach-in.

In the past few days, donors have barraged the offices with emails and phone calls, informing the University that they feel that De Genova overstepped the limits of academic free speech.

In mass-mailed email messages circulated among each other, alumni have urged each other to issue an ultimatum to the University: Fire De Genova or lose our donations.

"We've gotten a lot of calls," said Thomas Gray, who is in charge of alumni giving in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. "The people who have called have been very upset. They're proud of their college heritage, and they're very unhappy that this occurred."

CC alumnus Steve Stuart wrote an email a few days ago to over 100 alumni--whose combined "net worth," he said, is at least $250 million--asking them to express outrage to University President Lee Bollinger.

"Until he is fired, the University will suffer," Stuart said. Many of those alumni responded to Stuart's request with letters sent directly to Bollinger. Like Stuart's, nearly all of the emails issued warnings regarding the alumni's continued financial support of the University.

Frank Cicero, CC '92 and Senior Vice President of Investment Banking at Lehman Brothers, told Bollinger that he felt De Genova's presence on campus "pollutes the educational atmosphere."

That "pollution" may compel Cicero to stop contributing to the University.

"In the past, I believed that it was naive and in bad taste for alumni to withhold gifts because of the political opinions of faculty members," Cicero said in his email to Bollinger. "However, I am now considering doing just that in response to the vile and mendacious comments made by De Genova."

Donor Peter Ross, CC '87, MBA '94, and a member of the Ivory Capital Group, told Bollinger that De Genova's comments made him ashamed of the University.

"This will weigh heavily on my heart at the end of the year when I consider the financial sacrifice that I am willing to make for the University," Ross wrote.

For other alumni, the controversy has become a family matter. Vincent Butkiewicz, CC '79 and MBA '85, promised Bollinger that he would cancel the donation he made in a recent fund drive, assuring him that "you should not expect to see any donations from me nor an application for admission from any of my children until Prof. De Genova has been fired."

Peter Butkiewicz, CC '85, sent a nearly identical email. And their father, John Butkiewicz, CC '51 and a former member of the U.S. Army, informed Bollinger that he was revising his will to exclude Columbia.

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[Jeff Head]

Looks like our FR efforts are spreading, joining with others and paying off. If Columbia refuses to censor and fire e Genova, it will only get worse for Columbia IMHO.

Jeff

[goldstategop]

Bump! The only message Columbia U. will understand is the one that hurts them in their bottom line. Its about time we began taking back our great institutions of learning from the Marxist scum that have subverted them.

[Jeff Head]

FYI ... picking up steam.

[Uncle George]

I love the smell of burnt COMMIE in the morning, don't you?

[Grampa Dave]

Remember the former SLA member who had become a professor at some university, and the president played the left wing game until alums started to withholding donations and urging other alums to do the same.

[goldstategop]

Let add the Tenured Feminazis and Black Racists to the list of people who need to be purged as well.

[Desecrated]

Lecture from DeGenova on how his "free speech" is being squelched should be forthcoming shortly.

[lawgirl]

John Butkiewicz, CC '51 and a former member of the U.S. Army, informed Bollinger that he was revising his will to exclude Columbia.

I LOVE IT! I hope there are a 1000 more Mr. Butkiewicz's out there.

[Jeff Head]

Smoked out, burned and dogged for the rest of their days.

[Jeff Head]

May there be 100,000 and more!

[goldstategop]

Awww... he can go and lecture in Syria. I hear there is a great demand for his services over there. ;-)

[Jeff Head]

Yea, let them lecture ... he already showed us what his lectures are all about ... killing Americans.

[thoughtomator]

Right on. Retribution is sweet!

[rrrod]

is degenova a democRAT presidental cand.?

[bigfootbob]

Great news. This is how you get results. I hope other universities are watching.

[Jeff Head]

This guy needs the same treatment ... much worse even. May he be smoked out like the belly-draggin' oppossum he is, and then may he be burned and have the infamy of his words and actions dog him the rest of his days.

[DoughtyOne]

You know what, to heck with canning the professor, yank their charter. Put US Universities on notice that turning to the dark side is a sure way to end your institution. I am sick and damned tired of these leftist infested rat holes! I pay for them to a certain extent, and I DO NOT approve.

[AmericanInTokyo]

keep it going. don't give up till he is fired, and THEN SOME!

[3AngelaD]

Professor De Genova is going to learn one of the unpleasant truisms of real life: words and actions have consequences. This aspect of reality apparently doesn't hold as true on campus as it does elsewhere, but now reality is rearing its punitive head at Columbia.

[Jeff Head]

I hope they are too ... maybe when some of them crash down from their ivory towers of stench, and burn hard on the ground ... the others will take note and crawl back in the putrid holes that spawned them.

[goldstategop]

Like Baghdad Pete. I love the smell of unemployed Leftists in the morning.

[rs79bm]

bttt.

[Tacis]

I'd love to see this work! However, one of the major strengths of commie/America-hating academics is tenure, the policy that says that, except for the most extreme offenses, a professor can't be fired. It was designed to ensure that professors were free to voice opinions that were unpopular without fear of being fired for stating those opinions. The commies glomed on to this license years ago.

This could backfire. Columbia won't fire the guy and academic traitors all over the country will feel enboldened. Just spend any time at a public university and you will hear anti-American stuff you wouldn't believe.

[68skylark]

I've already written to my U. S. Representative and my Senators about this. Columbia currently gets about 300 million dollars a year in government funding.

I told them that no school should receive U. S. taxpayer money if the school tolerates teaching hate and armed violence against U. S. military personnel.

I hope that's not too radical an idea for them to accept.

[DoughtyOne]

Look at this guy's comments. The university president can't even figure out that he needs to be fired. It calls the question, what would this guy have to do to get fired? Incredible. That's why I say just shut the place down, if it's that rat infested.

[Jeff Head]

Amen ... got to start somewhere. If this guy is not let go ... then Columbia will be on that path. Can't keep operating with insufficient funds.

[Mamzelle]

The tire and the pavement--bump

[longtermmemmory]

next lets talk about the feminazi studies department.

[Zebra]

There is no such thing as free speech. Everything has consequences and comes at a cost. People who want consequence-free speech of actions are cowards without courage of convictions.

Get this, De Genova: if you want to take an unpopular stance, be courageous about it. Expect consequences. One is that your employer will suffer as a result of public opinion. This is normal and natural. The same rules apply to Dixie Chicks and idiot actors.

I will defend to the death your right to say anything, no matter how idiotic. But do not expect a pass, especially as regards commercial/business consequences.

You are a jackass, De Genova. But that is your right in America, and thousands of our finest young people are putting their lives on the line to let you continue to be a jackass.

[Jeff Head]

Amen ... fired and dogged the rest of his life ... unless he wants to move to Havana for a few years until his icon there goes the way of all the world.

[Grampa Dave]

Any university or left wing news agency that hires him after he is fired will become the next maggots on the menu to be exposed and destroyed.

[Jeff Head]

This aspect of reality apparently doesn't hold as true on campus as it does elsewhere, but now reality is rearing its punitive head at Columbia.

And it is a reality and consequences of his/their own making ... as well it should be.

[68skylark]

The professor in this case doesn't have tenure.

Even if he did have tenure, he can still be fired for certain egregious statements.

Teaching hatred and violence against U. S. military personnel doesn't seem "egregious" to some people, but it does to most of us. And we can enforce our standards of common decency if we work at it.

I'm not worried about any "backlash" from doing the right thing.

[Budge]

Hit 'em where it hurts, the pocketbook BUMP!!

[Jeff Head]

I don't think he is tenured.

[Jeff Head]

Amen ... and not radical at all. What they have a tough time accepting sometimes in their ivory towers is common sense.

[BlueLancer]

"However, one of the major strengths of commie/America-hating academics is tenure..."

But I believe that I read on another thread, in this particular instance, that this is an UNTENURED professor.

[goldstategop]

Amen. I'm in favor of defending people's right to disagree, but I draw the line when it comes to question your own country's existence. People who hate America that much need to be hounded for the rest of their miserable lives. We let Hanoi Jane get away with it. We sure as heck don't need to tolerate it from the likes of a yellow belly coward like Dr. de Genova.

[Jeff Head]

But do not expect a pass, especially as regards commercial/business consequences.

Amen to that.

[newzhawk]

With so many liberals on their alumni list I am glad to see them finally put a stop to this crap!!!! Parents will only put their kids in schools that have a decent reputation and this guy needs to go- the Black Hawk helicopter going down 2 -3 days after his Mogudishu comments I am sure spiked a revolt! Congratulations for the pressure put upon this cretin,

[Jeff Head]

Absoultely ... if this goes down well, they will be afriad to anyway, as they should be. Stand 'em up ... and knock 'em down.

[Budge]

29 - Beautifuly put, Zebra!

[Alberta's Child]

For all their idiotic pontificating about "academic freedom," I know from personal experience that there are few institutions more willing to sell their souls for the almighty dollar than American universities.

[Grampa Dave]

We have to remind parents with college children who might send their children to places like Columbia.

[BlueLancer]

Professor De Genova, who is untenured and teaches anthropology and Latino studies.

[blam]

Great, let's 'pile-on.'

[Grampa Dave]

Most Canadian Universities would sell their souls for the soon to be devalued Canadian $'s.

[ConservativeDude]

I must confess that I called the development office this a.m. and said politely (into the voice mail...i guess they unplugged the phone) that while I was not a Columbia grad., I was going to do whatever I could to convince all Columbia grads I know to withhold any contributions. And I was going to recruit people to help me in this effort. I said a polite thank you and hung up.

It's a pebble in the ocean, for sure...but it's a pebble.

[calvin sun]

And their father, John Butkiewicz, CC '51 and a former member of the U.S. Army, informed Bollinger that he was revising his will to exclude Columbia.

I am reminded of the old Mel Lazarus comic strip "Momma." In this particular one, the children (Thomas, Franics and the daughter) all visit her and hug her. Francis says, in fact (singing) "ain't no momma like my momma." Final panel: Momma says to the reader (in effect), "if you want a visit from your children, tell them you've made an appointment with your attorney." LOL

[Poincare]

Remember the former SLA member who had become a professor at some university, and the president played the left wing game until alums started to withholding donations and urging other alums to do the same.

Perhaps you mean Bernadine Dohrn at the Northwestern Law School. She was a former leader of the Weathermen and she took the 5th when captured. Her husband is a professor at U of Chicago Ed School and fits right in with all the other leftists.