CampusCommitteeonFacultyResponsibility ReporttotheChancellor Re:ChargesofIrresponsibilityagainstProfessorThomasGregoryEngel Thisreportsummarizesalengthyseriesofcommitteemeetingsandformalhearingsregardingthefive chargesoffacultyirresponsibilitybroughtagainstDr.Engel.Thesechargeswereleviedbythe ProvostsOfficeafterarequestforsuchactionbytheadministrationandmostseniorfacultyof ProfessorEngelsdepartment(ElectricalandComputerEngineering). Thechargesasstatedintheoriginaldocumentgeneratingthiscommitteesworkareasfollows: Charge1.ProfessorEngelhasabdicatedhisresponsibilityasateacherto[make]everyreasonable efforttoassurethathisevaluationofstudentsreflecttheirtruemerit. Charge2.ProfessorEngelhasabdicatedhisresponsibilityasateacherto[demonstrate]respectforthe studentasanindividual,and[adhere]tohisproperroleasintellectualguideandcounselor. Charge3.ProfessorEngelhasabdicatedhisresponsibilityto[practice]intellectualhonesty. Charge4.ProfessorEngelhasabdicatedhisresponsibilityto[seek]abovealltobeaneffectiveteacher andscholar.

. Charge5.ProfessorEngelhasfailedto[accept]theobligationtoexercisecriticalselfdisciplineand judgmentinusing,extendingandtransmittingknowledge. ThisreportwilladdressthethreeoutcomesrequiredintheUniversityofMissouriCollectedRulesand Regulations[CRR300.010L.8.c]:1.findingsoffact;2.levelofsignificance;and,3.recommendedaction steps.Withregardtoprovidingaminorityreport,thecommitteememberswhowereintheminorityin eachoftheseareashaveagreedthattherebenoformalminorityreportandthattheminorityviewsbe integratedintothisreport. FindingsofFact Becausethesanctionproposedwasdismissalforcause,themajorityofthecommitteeassumedthatthe appropriatestandardofproofshouldbethatofclearandconvincing.Withregardtothefindingsof fact,thecommitteedecidedonavoteof4to3thatthattheevidencewasnotsufficientlyclearand convincingtosupportthefivechargesoffacultyirresponsibilityfiledagainstDr.EngelbytheElectrical andComputerEngineeringfacultyandDepartmentadministration. Inreviewingthedocumentaryandtestimonialevidencepresented,themajorityofthecommittee determinedthatinsufficientevidencewaspresentedtoestablishclearfactualsupportforthefive specificcharges.Therewasmajorityagreementthatplausiblealternativeexplanationsexistedforeach oftheassertionsaboutDr.Engelsactionsthatwerepresentedasfactbythecomplainants representative.Inparticular,committeemembersfoundnoevidenceforthechargesofadversegender andracialdiscriminationinthematerialspresented.Thehandlingoftheissuedidshowlackof sensitivityandpoorjudgment;however,thatbehaviorcannotbeequatedtopurposefulirresponsibility. OneofthestrongestassertionsmadeduringthehearingswasthattheDepartmentadministration requestedseniorfacultytosupportthedecisiontoremoveDr.Engelfromtheclassroom.Thiswasdone topreventapresumedretaliationbyDr.Engelagainststudentsfortheiractionsinraisingtheissueof

unfairtreatmentbyDr.Engel.Thiswasbasedonassumptionsaboutthefuturemeaningofactions whichDr.EngeltookaftermeetingwiththeDepartmentadministration.Suchassumptionscannotbe consideredasfacts.Eveniftheassumptionswerecorrect,theremovalfromallteachingratherthan fromthespecificcourseinwhichtheaccusingstudentswereenrolledrepresentsaseriousoverreaction tothesituation.Thereissomeevidencethatthemeetingoftheseniorfacultymighthavebeenoverly influencedbyhowtheissuewaspresented,includingtestimonyfromoneofthosefacultymembersthat thisshouldnothavebeendiscussedbytheseniorfacultyinthefirstplacebeingpurelyanadministrative matter.Also,thereisnoevidencethattheseniorfacultyhadaccesstoanyinformationdirectlyfromDr. Engel,raisingthepossibilitythatsupportforthesechargesmayhavebeenbasedoninsufficientor biasedpresentationofthesituation.Hence,thisinadvertentlyledtoaharsherthanneededactionin regardtothebehaviorofDr.Engel. Withregardstothechargeofderelictionofteachingduties,thisseemstobebasedonDr.Engels apparentpracticeforendingformalclassperiodsearly;forbeingbrusquewithstudentquestionsand concerns,andforfailuretoattendtoexplanatorydetailsinhissyllabiandresponsestostudent questionsaboutassignments.AlthoughthisdoesraiseconcernsaboutDr.Engelsteachingstyleandhis approachtoinvolvementwithstudents,themajoritydidnotseethatitconstitutedevidenceof derelictionofduties. Thus,theoveralldeterminationofthemajorityreflectsthefailureofthecomplainantsrepresentative toestablishfactualsupportforassertions,assumptions,andopinionsallofwhichhaveviablealternative explanationsasexplicatedbytherespondentandhisrepresentative. MinorityMemberConcerns Themembersofthecommitteeintheminorityhaddifferingperspectivesonthedeterminationsbythe majority.Onemembertooktheviewthatthereweretoomanypersonsinvolvedintheassertions aboutDr.Engelandinthesupportforthechargesforthemtobedeemedasonlyassertions.This committeememberthoughtthattheargumentoftherespondentandhisrepresentativethatthese chargesrepresentedaformalconspiracywasnotviable. MembersoftheminorityalsosawtheevidencerelatedtoCharge1assufficienttosupportthecharge. ThisincludedthefacultyanalysisofLab3reportsforallstudentswhichconcludedtherewasno evidenceofplagiarism.Combinedwithwhatwasseenasvaguenessininstructionsinthesyllabusand lackofproperverbalinstructionsrelevanttoteamworkandtothemeaningofplagiarism,thiswas deemedassufficienttosupportCharge1. Charge2wasseenassupportedbythetestimonyoftwooftheChinesestudentsregardingthe responsesofDr.Engeltotheirattemptstodiscusstheplagiarismissueandtheirgradeswithhim.There wasconcernthatDr.Engelmightbelyingtothecommitteeregardingthoseinteractionsandthathis brusquenessandunresponsivenesswouldindicateafailuretorespecttheChinesestudents individualityandneeds.TheminorityviewthatDr.Engelmayhaveshownpoorjudgmentinhowhe handledthesematters,bothwiththestudentsandwiththeDepartmentadministration,wasalso arguedassupportingthischarge. WithregardtoCharges3,4,and5,membersoftheminorityfoundsufficientcausetobelievethatDr. Engelhadmisrepresentedtothecommitteewhathisactionshadbeenandhowhehasrepresented himselfinthismatterandinothermatters.TherewasconcernthathisactionsaftertheNov.10,2010 meetingwithDepartmentadministratorswerebasedonangerabouthissituationandthattheydid

constitutepotentiallyretaliatorymeasuresthatmighthavebeenharmfulandunfairtostudentsinthe ECE2110course. Finally,theproblemoffacultycollegialitywasraisedasasufficientcauseforsupportingthecharges againstDr.EngelandremovinghimfromtheUniversity LevelofSignificance Withregardtotherequestfordismissalforcause,thecommitteedecidedonavoteof6to1thatthe evidencewasnotsufficientlyclearandconvincingtosupporttherequestfordismissalforcause. Thecommitteevoted61thattheactionsandbehaviorsofDr.Engeldidnotconstitutealevelof significancewarrantingtheseverityofactionssuggestedintheletteroffilingsignedbythesenior facultymembersandadministratorsoftheDepartmentofElectricalandComputerEngineering.Theone dissentingvoteinthisareawasagainmadebasedontheissueoffacultycollegiality.Thecommittee agreedthatmanyconcernsneedtobeaddressedinregardtothishearingandtheissuesitbrought forward.Thecommittee,however,hasaverynarrowchargewithregardtoafocusonthespecific chargesandactionswillberecommendedonlywithregardtothosecharges. RecommendedActions And,withregardtoanyactionsorrecommendationsthecommitteeoffers,itisrecommendedthatDr. Engelhavehisteachingdutiesreinstatedasneededbyhisdepartment. Becausetherewasnomajorityfindingoffactinsupportofthesechargesandbecauseevenmostofthe minoritymembersdidnotviewtheevidencesupportingthechargesasreachingastronglevelof significancewithregardtothecharges,thefollowingactionswillberecommendedthataredirectly relatedtoDr.Engel. Dr.EngelshouldbereinstatedimmediatelytohisteachingdutieswithintheDepartment.Aspartofthis returntoteaching,Dr.Engelsteachingresponsibilitiesshouldbereassessedwithhimbythe departmentaladministrators. Dr.Engelsteachingshouldbereviewedonaregularbasisbythesamestandardsappliedtoother membersofthefacultyinhisdepartmenttoassurethathisteachingmaintainsahighstandardof contentprovisionandacomparablyhighsensitivitytotheneedsofindividualstudents. Thisreportwaspreparedbythecommitteechairwithinputandreviewbycommitteemembersandis respectfullysubmittedonbehalfoftheentirecommitteebytheChair. Respectfullysubmittedon J.WilsonWatt,Chair AssociateProfessor;SchoolofSocialWork GennadyBarabtarlo Professor;DepartmentofRussianandGermanStudies StephenP.Ferris Professor;DepartmentofFinance

 NatT.Messer Professor;CollegeofVeterinaryMedicine L.MarvinOverby Professor;DepartmentofPoliticalScience DeborahM.Pearsall Professor;DepartmentofAnthropology ReidJ.Smeda AssociateProfessor;DivisionofPlantSciences