Montana labor news., 1939-10-26
WHEELER INQUIRIES
ABOUT Professors
Continued from Page y

pointment, should, if possible, be
considered by both a faculty com
mittee and the governing board of
the institution. In all cases where
the facts are in dispute, the accused
teacher should be informed before
the hearing in writing of the charges
against him and should have the
opportunity to be heard in his own
defense by all bodies that pass judg-
ment upon his case. He should be
permitted to have with him an adj
wiser of his own choosing who may
act as counsel. There should be a
full stenographic record of the hear
ing available to the parties con-
cerned. In the hearing of charges of
incompetence the testimony should
include that of teachers and other
scholars, either from his own Or from
other institutions. Teachers on con-
tinuous appointment who r dis
missed for reasons not involving
moral turpitude should receive their
salaries for at least a year from the
date of notification of dismissal
whether OF not they + continued
in their duties at the institution"
OF course the five persons affect
ed by the dismissal decree r not
in the class of those who were at
the University simply during a pro-
stationary period, but r instead in
the other class set up in the prin-
ciples adopted by the above-named
associations, the class serving under
continuous appointment. Those in the
probationary class r assumed to
be men who have had not more than
six years service. Those serving I'M
der a continuous appointment are
members of the faculty who have
had more than six years service,
In this instance, I am informed that
the members of the faculty who
were made the subjects of the orders
of dismissal had been on the faculty
in two cases for a period of 26 years,
in one case for 20 years, in another
case for 16 years and in another case
for eight years.
OF course, I appreciate that this
is a matter for the jurisdiction OF
your board and trust and believe
that your board will give full effect
to the principles above set forth. My
concern in the matter arises not
alone out of the fact that I have the
interests of my state at heart. It i;
important that Montana shall rank
among the institutions which, espe-
cially during the present emergency
must be relied on to act as the
guardians Of civil liberties, of AGA.
demic freedom and of the precious
heritage of due process. This matter
touches me even more deeply be.
cause I know at first hand some o
the sad experiences which many o
us in Montana were obliged to pas
through during the World War. A
that time it became the unavoidable
duty of those Of us who believed il
preserving undefiled the libertie.
guaranteed to our people by the
Bill Of Rights, and in guarding
against any infringement of civilized
decencies and Of the requirement
of due process, to struggle to th'
utmost, often with our backs to The
wall, against the forces of hysteri;
and reaction which swept over many
parts of the country. Now that WI
are confronted by another gray,
emergency, it is especially importan
to the people of the entire land tina
action by all public bodies shall Sc
the standard for citizens in private
life, by insisting on adherence at al
times to the spirit of our American
system of government and of jus
tice. | am sure that in saying thes,
words l am saying what is in tn,
hearts of millions of other Ameri
cans today all over the Unitec
States. I am sure that the citizen
of Montana will want our state ant
its institutions to be the leaders ant
exemplars in this treasured brancl
of our local and national life.
Faithfully yours,
B. K. WHEELER.