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APA Committee for
Defense of Professional
Rights of Philosophers

Committee Report
1998

The following appeared in Volume 72, Number 5 (May, 1999) of The Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association

Leslie Francis, Chair

The Committee’s activities this year have consisted of (1) sponsoring a round table at the Pacific Division meetings on "The Future of Tenure"; (2) investigating several complaints; (3) responding to a number of preliminary inquiries. One of the preliminary inquiries seems likely to become a complaint in the near future. The Committee is also planning several programs for next year’s APA meetings in conjunction with the celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.

The Pacific Division round table included superb presentations and generated terrific discussions. Participants were Jeffrie Murphy, Arizona State University; Daniel Farrell, Ohio State University; Mary Gibson, Rutgers (New Brunswick); Nancy Holmstrom, Rutgers (Newark); C. Wade Savage, Minnesota; and Leslie Francis, moderator (Utah).

As chair of the committee, I would highly recommend that the Committee continue the practice of sponsoring philosophical discussions of topics related to professional rights and responsibilities at APA meetings. The round table format was chosen to encourage discussion, and it did so. I have already indicated the plans to sponsor symposia next year; the topic will be academic freedom, and the symposia will link to other programs about human rights. Because there have been a number of inquiries to the committee about issues of attribution, such as plagiarism and self-plagiarism, that might be a topic for a future round table. So might be the job situation rights of part-time and short-term appointments.

Attached to this report are proposed letters to be sent on behalf of the committee with respect to the two major complaints. The Committee is seeking approval from the Board of Officers before sending the letters. Because the complaints are confidential, the names of the complainants are not included in this report. The issues raised by the complaints are the treatment of faculty in the pretenure period, and due process with respect to an honorific appointment.