September 05, 2016
A Spanish language and literature professor at Lafayette College ended his hunger strike against the administration's denial of his faculty-supported tenure on Monday, enjoying one taco de lengua for his troubles.
Juan Rojo, an assistant professor at the Easton-based college, refused to consume anything other than water and Gatorade for a period of six full days after a nearly six-month battle with the Promotion Tenure and Review Committee.
Rojo had reached the required seven years at Lafayette when he submitted his application to become a tenured professor. The file presented documents including reviews of his teaching style by faculty and students, a list of academic accomplishments and a self-review.
In December, according to The Morning Call, he was approved by a six-person committee comprised of distinguished faculty members and Provost S. Abu Turab Rizvi. When the documents were turned over to Lafayette President Alison Byerly for final review, she turned him down on grounds that he failed to exhibit "distinctive" teaching abilities and had been negatively reviewed by a number of students.
Lafayette's Board of Trustees then referred Rojo's case back to the tenure committee, which again recommended him for tenure. Byerly denied him a second time in late June.
At a faculty meeting on August 30, Rojo announced he would teach the rest of the semester without eating. He said the strike was about drawing attention to the larger issue of faculty discretion in academic affairs.
In a Facebook post Monday, Rojo announced that he would end the strike early as an "act of good faith," thanking those who have supported him and dispelling rumors about the reasons for his denial of tenure.
As a result of the college's decision, Rojo's position will expire at the end of the academic year.
The private school battle concludes as the faculty unions at Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities prepare to vote on a strike authorization in the coming week. The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties is at odds with the State System of Higher Education over, among other sticking points, delayed annual pay increases and a proposed health insurance increase.
