As stated in last week’s The University News, our [Communications department] chairperson, Kathleen Farrell, was removed from her position. In light of the recent news that [interim vice president of Frost Campus] Manoj Patankar, who requested her resignation, is being considered for the position of [Frost Campus] Vice President, we thought it was imperative to explain why we believe he is the wrong choice for the job.

Upon hearing of Farrell’s resignation request, the graduate students scheduled a meeting with Patankar. A delegation of seven graduate students explained to him the value of retaining Farrell as the Department Chair for the duration of her contract and the disruption we anticipated as a result of her forced departure from the position.

Unfortunately, Patankar’s response to our testimony was disappointing. He informed us, among other things, that we were being “emotional” and that we were “exaggerating” the impact Dr. Farrell has had during her time at Saint Louis University. He then asked that we tell him who had informed us of the resignation request. When we refused, he expressed disappointment that scholars would come to his office with unsubstantiated claims. However, Kathleen Farrell’s subsequent removal from her position shows that our concerns were valid.

Last week’s paper states that the hiring committee is searching for a candidate who has the “ability to work effectively with administrators, faculty, students, staff …” Patankar’s seeming unwillingness to indicate in writing the reasons for Farrell’s abrupt dismissal, coupled with his dismissive treatment of students, lead us to question his ability to communicate effectively in the position of Vice President. In light of these facts, the graduate students of the Communication Department respectfully request that SLU’s administration look to other candidates to fill its permanent leadership positions.

–David Chilenski
–Charles Dunlap
–Laura Hinrichsen
–Caroline Jack
–Charlotte Noe
–Jason Peifer
–Giuliangela Rosato
–Bethany Sirvio
–Brenda Smith
–Eric Sucher, graduate students