Akhil Gupta's Tenure Decision

bobby vaughn (bvaughn@leland.Stanford.EDU)
Tue, 14 Jan 1997 21:20:06 -0800

Last month (December 1996), the Deans' office of the Stanford University
School of Humanities and Sciences denied tenure to Akhil Gupta of the
Anthropology Department. As members of the Stanford community, we are
angered and concerned about the administration's decision, and are
committed to an appeal.

It is critical to note that the administration's decision followed a
unanimous vote of approval in favor of Gupta's tenure from the Department
of Anthropology. In a time of great intellectual debate within the
department, the significance of this decision must not be underestimated,
attesting both to the high quality of Gupta's scholarship and its
recognition by scholars throughout the discipline.

The scope and acclaim of Professor Gupta's scholarship has made him an
invaluable resource for undergraduate and graduate students across the
disciplines as a teacher and advisor. In addition to his other areas of
scholarship, Gupta is one of the few Stanford faculty with expertise on
South Asia and has significantly contributed to the critical literature on
this region. Gupta's scholarship has been highly acclaimed for its
innovation and interdisciplinary scope. We fear that it is, in part,
precisely this innovation that is under attack.

We call upon concerned individuals, organizations, and institutions to join
us in challenging Stanford's decision. We believe that it is not only
Professor's Gupta's tenure which is at stake, but Stanford's future as an
educational institution.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 1) Write letters in support of Professor Gupta,
attesting to the quality of his scholarship and the importance of his
presence at Stanford. Letters or faxes are the best way to get attention,
but sending an email copy of your letter as well doesn't hurt. Address
your letter to:

1. Gerhard Casper
President
Building 310
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-2060

2. Condoleezza Rice
Provost
Building 310
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-2061

3. John B. Shoven
Dean, School of Humanities and Sciences
Building 1, Main Quad
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-2070

4. Robert Weisberg
Acting Chair
Department of Anthropology
Building 110, Main Quad
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-2145

4. Jane F. Collier
Chair, Evaluation Committee
Department of Anthroplogy
Building 110, Main Quad
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-2145

5. Anu Sharma
Representative, Graduate Students Organization
Department of Anthropology
Building 110, Main Quad
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-2145

2) Send us citations-places where Akhil's work has been cited in scholarly
books or journals. This helps us document the importance of his work. When
sending us a citation, be sure to include WHICH article is being cited, and
include as much information about the paper or book in which the citation
appears (author, year, publisher, page numbers if from a journal).

Email CITATIONS ONLY to: arzoo@leland.stanford.edu

** BE ADVISED THAT SHORTLY WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE WWW PAGE
DEDICATED TO THIS MATTER. IT WILL CONTAIN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
PROFESSOR GUPTA'S WORK AS WELL AS UPDATES ON OUR EFFORTS. WE EXPECT THE
PAGE TO BE UP VERY SOON **

email contact people:

Sameer Pandya : spandya@leland.stanford.edu
Miriam Ticktin: mticktin@leland.stanford.edu
Thomas Boellstorff: thomasb@leland.stanford.edu