I was asked to share this open letter from colleagues at Notre Dame, and am happy to do so:

 

May 23, 2017

Open Letter To President Ivany, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Aquila, Dean Evans, and the University of St. Thomas Board of Directors:

As philosophers and individual members of the University of Notre Dame Philosophy Department, we write to express our strong objections in response to published reports (here) concerning the endangered situation of the philosophy department at the University of St. Thomas, whose faculty includes two graduates of our own philosophy program at Notre Dame.  

The philosophy department at the University of St. Thomas is highly respected within the Catholic philosophical community in the United States.  Not only are its faculty responsible for the American Catholic Philosophical Association, but they are also to be found taking a leading role wherever scholarly work is being done that is of interest to the Catholic philosophical community, including—to mention just a few areas—the International Congress on Medieval Studies, the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas, Corpusthomisticum, the "Aquinas and the Arabs Project," and others.  They have made signal contributions to the field of medieval Christian and Islamic philosophy and contemporary Thomism.  Their publications and professional activities bring distinction to the University of St. Thomas and contribute positively to its international reputation. 

We are particularly concerned by the jeopardy in which the philosophy PhD program reportedly stands, in the absence of any appropriately paced program review and opportunity for faculty input.  This vibrant and unique program offers students excellent resources for gaining expertise in Thomistic studies, drawing on the strengths of its internationally-regarded faculty.  We remain deeply concerned by the documents made public in the above reports, which show events unfolding in such a way as to throw abruptly into doubt (1) the positions of tenured scholars, and (2) the futures of continuing and newly-accepted PhD students.  The integrity of the scholarly enterprise depends on the ability of scholars at diverse career stages to trust the promises made to them by their home institution.

We object in the strongest possible terms to any course of action that would resulting in the eroding of tenure protections, the jeopardizing of lifetimes of scholarly work, and the placing at risk of vulnerable junior members of the philosophical community.

Sincerely,

The following members of the Philosophy Department of the University of Notre Dame:

Patricia Blanchette, Professor of Philosophy

Therese Cory, Associate Professor of Philosophy

Richard Cross, Rev. John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy

Brian Cutter, Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Mic Detlefsen, McMahon-Hank Professor of Philosophy (II)

Fred Freddoso, John and Jean Oesterle Professor of Philosophy Emeritus

Don Howard, Professor of Philosophy

Lynn Joy, Associate Professor of Philosophy

Sean Kelsey, Associate Professor of Philosophy

Janet Kourany, Associate Professor of Philosophy

Alasdair MacIntyre, Rev. John A. O'Brien Senior Research Professor of Philosophy Emeritus

John O’Callaghan, Associate Professor of Philosophy (2016 Archbishop J. Michael Miller Lecturer, University of St. Thomas)

Adrian Reimers, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Kristin Shrader-Frechette, O’Neill Family Endowed Professor of Philosophy and Biological Sciences,

Jeff Speaks, Professor of Philosophy and Department Chair

Jim Sterba, Professor of Philosophy

Nicholas Teh, Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Stephen Watson, Professor of Philosophy

Paul Weithman, Glynn Family Honors Collegiate Professor of Philosophy