Effective July 1, Wynne Moskop, Ph.D., will succeed Timothy
Lomperis, Ph.D., as chair of Saint Louis University’s political
science department.
The switch comes a year after Lomperis announced he would not
serve his ninth year as chair after repeated frustrations with the
administration.
Lomperis explained that when he arrived at SLU, in 1996, after a
decade at Duke University and two years at the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point, he was told he could develop a graduate
program for the political science department if he could increase
student enrollment and faculty-research productivity.
He says the department has met both of these prerequisites but
has not been allowed to advance its program by hiring new
tenure-track professors.
“They declined to accept my repeated invitations to give
political science its proper place at the table,” Lomperis
said.
With the decision to hire the new chair from inside the
department also came the decision from University Provost Joseph
Weixlmann, Ph.D., to allow political science to hire a new
tenure-track professor.
“That’s great for the department,” Lomperis said with a slight
smile on his face, “but I find it a little bit personally
galling.”
Lomperis also said he feels his final point of contention with
the administration was its tardiness in telling the department
whether it could seek its new chair from outside its own pool of
professors.
The provost’s office did not inform the department of this until
late October, but it needed to know, Lomperis said, by Labor Day,
so it could advertise at the annual convention of the American
Political Science Association.
Michael May, S.J., the interim Arts and Sciences dean, who dealt
with the department, said he used the same process with all four
departments that were looking for new chairs this year. He declined
to name the other three departments.
been used equally in each case, political science needed special
attention, because of the APSA conference’s timing. She said she,
among others, had personally mentioned this need to May.
“I don’t think there was malevolent intent (on May’s part),”
Moskop added. “I have a great level o respect for the dean as a man
of integrity.”
Both Moskop and Lomperis have also noted, however, that the
department was never formally polled and never reached a consensus
as to whether to seek a chair from outside the department.
May said he surveyed professors individually before the search
committee was formed in late October, but would not disclose the
results of those surveys.
Overall, however, the department seems happy with the outcome of
the process.
“I’m very grateful that Wynne has stepped up to the plate and
decided to serve because I’m sure the department will unite behind
her leadership,” Lomperis said. “Despite my frustration at
the administration not following the course I thought we were
entitled to, we’re nevertheless all grateful that (even though) we
weren’t able to get that, that Wynne has stepped forward.”
Moskop noted that the political science faculty met last week
and decided the new professor who will be hired will most likely be
a specialist in political theory. She said it’s the department’s
“most critical shortage.”
She also said that even though it is a requirement for majors,
who number 150, the department struggles to offer enough theory
courses. Moskop added that political theory’s concern with justice
and ethics coincides with the University’s mission.
“We’re very grateful for this new hire,” Moskop said. “I take it
as a step by the administration to allow political science to
develop and participate in the growing research culture of the
University.”
Moskop, who will be entering her 15th year with the department,
has specialized in political thought, American politics and
American studies and received her Ph.D. from George Washington
University.
