A growing legion of supporters is offering solidarity to suspended University of Manitoba mathematics professor Gábor Lukács by petitioning the school’s Board of Governors in order to reinstate him.
Lukács was suspended for three months after he questioned the judgment of the university’s dean of graduate studies, John Doering, in his decision to waive a PhD student’s final comprehensive exam, according to an article in Maclean’s.
“It’s just their attempt to silence criticism,” said Lukács of his suspension. “They’re trying to wrap a bandage over my mouth.”
“They are destroying everything this university tried to build,” said George Grátzer, a professor of mathematics at U of M, who also used to serve as a member of the school’s senate and opposes the dean’s solution.
The student in question did not fulfill the course requirements for his degree, Grátzer said. The dean upgraded one of the students’ undergraduate credits to the doctorate level, which is, for Grátzer, “like saying a Volkswagen is upgraded to a Mercedes. It doesn’t make sense.”
It remains unclear if the dean has the power to do that, especially without consulting the Board of Governors.
“With other students facing similar problems, the dean is quite harsh. Maybe even too harsh,” said Lukács. “I don’t know why he made such exceptions in this case.” A letter was addressed to the university’s president and vice-chancellor David Bernard on Nov. 24, signed by 84 mathematics professors from all across Canada, the United States and Europe, stating support for Lukács and Grátzer. It also suggested the university should publicly justify it’s decision or reverse it’s decision.
While students have organized an online petition calling for the reinstatement of Lukács, Meaghan Labine, president of the Graduate Students’ Association, said she supports the university’s decision to suspend the professor.
“Essentially, a student’s private medical information was released to the public… without the student’s consent,” said Labine, alluding to the anxiety disorder the student claims to suffer from.
“If other professionals such as medical doctors, lawyers, or accountants released private information of their clients, it would be viewed as abuse of power.”
Lukács called the stance of the Graduate Students’ Association “silly.”
“I was very careful to assure that the student’s name remained confidential,” Lukács said. “What the students’ association should be concerned with is what employers will think when faced with an applicant from the University of Manitoba, whose degree may not be legitimate. People in some stores don’t accept $50 bills. It would be the same thing for our degrees.”
Labine said she takes umbrage against the idea that the university’s degree-granting policies are too lax. “In no way is the university a PhD mill, granting compassionate degrees,” Labine said, “despite the negative media attention.”
Lukács said he is preparing to settle the matter of his suspension in court next January.