Two Collin College professors whose contracts are not being renewed say there were ousted by leaders who did not like their views surrounding the system鈥檚 COVID-19 policies. The news follows months of concerns from faculty over COVID-19.
The professors say they were fired, even if on paper, they were told their contracts would not be renewed in May. Audra Heaslip, who鈥檚 taught humanities at Collin College for more than a decade, was called into a meeting with some administrators.
鈥淭he college has been really careful over the last few days to deny that I or my colleague were fired,鈥� Heaslip said. 鈥淎s if it鈥檚 a completely normal thing for someone who鈥檚 been teaching full-time more than 10 years with not a single student complaint, not a single disciplinary notice.鈥�
Heaslip said it was called a non-renewal. But she says she was fired.
鈥淯sually if there鈥檚 a problem with a contract, they give someone a couple different ways to provide a portfolio,鈥� Heaslip said. 鈥淓ven a one-year contract is considered kind of the minimum. But in my case, they said 鈥榗ontinue through May and after that you鈥檙e done.鈥欌��
Heaslip said in part it鈥檚 because she spoke out about how the college system was handling COVID-19. She prepared a resolution 鈥� signed by 130 faculty members 鈥� that expressed concerns over returning to in-person classes. She and other faculty also demanded the school publish data about the number of COVID-19 infections among employees and students.
President Neil Matkin, who in August said COVID鈥檚 effects were blown utterly out of proportion, wanted instructors and students back on campus as soon as possible.
鈥淲hat people are calling outspoken is speaking the truth,鈥� Heaslip said, 鈥渉aving integrity and trying to make sure we hold each other accountable. I don鈥檛 expect to agree with colleagues on everything, but I feel like we should be able to disagree without fear. There鈥檚 a real toxic culture of fear.鈥�
Collin College issued a statement saying that in consideration of the privacy of its employees, it does not publicly comment on internal personnel matters.
Heaslip said college officials told her that her contract wasn't being renewed because, in part, she violated the college's core values.
Education professor Suzanne Jones, who also signed Heaslip's resolution, was told the same thing. Her contract also isn't being renewed. Jones, who鈥檚 been at the college for 20 years, feels betrayed by administrators.
鈥淚 have great teacher evaluations, great student evaluations, great service to the college,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚 have my students doing service in the community all the time. I mean, I live by our core value. I teach the core values to my classes. For them to use that on me is just questionable at best.鈥�
Jones also has another theory for their dismissals. Both she and Heaslip are leaders of the school鈥檚 chapter of the Texas Faculty Association.
鈥淥ut of our three local Collin officers, two of us were fired. So it clearly seems to be about TFA. We have our first meetup to recruit new members so that also seems like they鈥檙e sending a message,鈥� Jones said.
If that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e doing, Adam Steinbaugh says the school鈥檚 crossed the line. He鈥檚 an attorney with FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
鈥淯nder First Amendment the employer doesn鈥檛 have to recognize a union. But you do have a First Amendment right to associate with one another in order to argue for an improvement in society, or your political views, or what have you. That is protected by First Amendment,鈥� said Steinbaugh.
The college generated headlines last fall when the school's president blasted a professor who went on social media criticizing former Vice President Mike Pence.
Several professors have told 四虎影院 they are afraid of losing their jobs if they speak critically of the school's leadership.
Pat Heintzelman is president of the TFA, and says she鈥檚 had more calls about Collin than any other college in Texas.
鈥淐ollin doesn鈥檛 believe in academic freedom or shared governance,鈥� said Heintzelman, 鈥渁nd they sure don鈥檛 want any advocacy groups on their campus. They want to remove any power from faculty.鈥�
Both Heaslip and Jones say they plan to file a grievance and appeal their dismissal.
At an emergency board meeting on Feb. 5, faculty and students defended the instructors.
History professor Michael Phillips told trustees that faculty members don't feel safe because the administration doesn鈥檛 have their backs.
鈥淔or merely communicating their worries about Covid,鈥� Phillips said, 鈥減rofessors Heaslip and professor Suzanne Jones have been fired. This has only confirmed for faculty their worst suspicions. What does this sequence of events say about the type of college we鈥檝e become 鈥� an institution built of suspicion and distrust.鈥�
Courtney Brooks, who studied at Collin College, directed her ire at the school鈥檚 president, H. Neil Matkin.
鈥淲hat you鈥檙e doing is dangerous in saying the COVID virus is blown out of proportion. It鈥檚 wrong. You need to pay attention to it. You need to help make your faculty and your students the priority and make them safe. You need to go,鈥� Brooks said.
Another speaker reminded trustees that three of their seats are up for election this spring, and voters will be watching what happens.
News of the professors鈥� departures comes as the college system has been criticized for how it鈥檚 handling the coronavirus pandemic. Last fall, faculty members criticized the college for not having a dashboard that lists positive cases among faculty and students. The college eventually started
In December, the college system , citing a 鈥渞ecent regional surge in COVID-19 cases鈥� and allowed full-time employees to work remotely for a week in December and a week in January. It also moved its 鈥淲intermester鈥� session, a mini-semester in December and early January, online.
Got a tip? Email Reporter Bill Zeeble at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on Twitter .
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