By Claire DeRoin–
Late last week, word spread on campus that biology professor Dr. Robson was denied tenure.
According to students, Dr. Robson announced her tenure denial during class late last week.
Neil Herbold, a junior nursing major, said that Dr. Robson was very dismayed as she broke the news to students. Unsure of the official reasons for the denial, Herbold said that the rumored reasons “sound asinine.”
In order to reverse the denial, Dr. Robson must appeal to the grievance committee, or risk having to leave Morningside.
With hopes of reversing the denial, Herbold is writing a letter to the grievance committee, which may overturn the denial.
“I have had many wonderful and positive experiences with Dr. Robson,” Herbold said. “She has an amazing teaching style that encourages participation in class discussion. Being in her classes is not just sitting through class. It is a full-blown learning experience each and every time. Dr. Robson is constantly finding ways to keep students involved.”
Herbold fears for the future of the biology department without Dr. Robson, even saying her loss would make Morningside a “less desirable place to go.”
“She has valuable insight and points of view that make her indispensable,” Herbold said. “Losing Dr. Robson would be tragic.”
Alexander Sjuts, a sophomore biology major, is also writing a letter to the grievance committee. “She has been nothing but a great professor in the time I’ve had her as a teacher.”
Every student has his or her own reasons for being disappointed in the denied tenure, but the overall theme seems to be that Dr. Robson is an outstanding educator. There are more personal reasons for supporting the professor, like in Austin Granatowicz’s case.
“I have never been treated disrespectfully by Dr. Robson,” Granatowicz, a sophomore biology and chemistry major said. “I was recently diagnosed with a type of leukemia. While I was being diagnosed, she, more than any of my other teachers, has gone out of her way to make sure I was doing all right, and caught up with all of my work,” Granatowicz said.
Forrest Maxon, a sophomore history and biology major, has had classes with Dr. Robson previously and currently. He calls her “relatable, enjoyable, and upbeat.”
“I look forward to her class every day because I know she looks forward to teaching us as well,” Maxon said. “I have learned many things from her that I have not learned from any other teacher. I hope this situation is resolved somehow. It would be a shame to lose a teacher as good as Dr. Robson.”
Another student, Rachel Vonderharr, a sophomore nursing major, plans to write a grievance letter as well.
Besides being a good educator, Vonderharr believes Robson is a role model for young women interested in the sciences.
“I once asked her why she wore dresses and nice shoes to class every day. She responded that she wants to set a good example,” Vonderharr said. “[Robson] wanted to make students aware that it doesn’t make women less feminine by being interested in science, which I found inspiring. I always thought since I like to wear pink sparkly nail polish, I wouldn’t be taken seriously in the medical and biology/science fields, and she proved me wrong.”
Vonderharr believes that students are “being punished” with Dr. Robson’s impending removal from the biology department. “Students will suffer greatly without Dr. Robson. She is a great inspiration to students and gives us a wonderful learning environment that helps build our critical thinking skills and our ability to make decisions.”
In addition to writing grievance letters, students have taken to social media to voice their concern and distaste with the situation. A Facebook group, called “Dr. Robson Support,” already has over 360 members.
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