Local News in Brief : Student March for Teacher

Chanting “education, not publication,” about 50 students marched Thursday on the administration building at Cal State Long Beach to protest a faculty recommendation against granting tenure to a popular political science lecturer.

The students, who also demanded a greater say in faculty hiring decisions, said they were angry because Dean Birch, a lecturer on the campus for the past three years, is apparently about to be passed over for a permanent position in favor of a teacher from another university who has more publication credits.

Birch’s “ability to teach and understand students is superb,” said Dan Sager, 32, a political science major and one of the organizers of the demonstration. “He puts an emphasis on the education of the students, where other professors put the emphasis on publication.”

The students marched to the office of June Cooper, the university’s acting president, where they were met by James R. Brett, assistant to the vice president for academic affairs. He suggested that the students petition Cooper in writing to intervene on Birch’s behalf.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Brett said of the demonstration. “It means that the students are attentive to the form and content of their educations.”