Kevin McCullough will be interviewing Dr. Phil Mitchell, formerly of Colorado university, on his radio show at 3:20 Eastern. Live stream here.
He was decorated in 1998 as “Teacher of the Year”. Yet according to Mitchell his teaching “is not up to standard”, and he has been too outspoken about his “Christian views” in this state-run University.
I’ve seen “Teacher of the Year” awardees fired before, as the award tends to be a popularity contest voted on by the students and often has little to do with one’s teaching ability, let alone one’s contribution to the literature. Still, it’s highly unusual for a long-tenured professor to be fired for the expression of views in the performance of his teaching duties. The contrast with fellow Buffalo Ward Churchill is interesting, indeed.
Update (1217): Correction: Steven Taylor notes below that Mitchell did not, in fact, have tenure.
Following up on this, though, I see something rather odd. From Mitchell’s CU page, I see: “I have both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education and a Ph.D. in American Social History specializing in contemporary American social, religious and cultural history.” I would find it most odd for a social historian, one who specializes in religion no less, not to talk about religion in class.
