ST. GEORGE — A large gathering of peaceful protesters at the Dixie State University campus Monday morning ensured that the first day of the school year would be anything but routine.
Students, alumni, teachers and community members of all ages made their grievances clear, saying the university’s treatment of music professor Ken Peterson is a grave injustice.
The protesters rallied in the heart of the university campus near the newly built clock tower before moving to the steps of the university library. Organizers said about 100 people participated in the gathering over the course of three hours. Demonstrators held handmade signs questioning and criticizing the university administration’s treatment of Peterson and other professors.
With phrases like “Stop the Abuse of Power” and “Investigate Dixie State,” the colorful signs attracted the attention of curious students on their way to class, and protest leader Corinne McFerran and other vocal participants took the time speak to those who would listen.
“We’re all here because he (Peterson) deserves his rights; he deserves to be treated with respect,” said McFerran, a DSU music graduate who heads the watchdog website Full Disclosure DSU.
Peterson, who was present at Monday’s demonstration, was fired from his 16-year tenured teaching position in March for allegedly violating university policy but was later reinstated after his case was reviewed by the Utah System of Higher Education. However, DSU’s terms of reinstatement have been decried as stiflingly infeasible.
“It’s a horrible, horrible document that they were unwilling to negotiate because they frankly just didn’t want him working here, and they’re trying to get away with that,” McFerran said of the contractual agreement the university insisted Peterson sign in order to be reinstated.
The five-page “Last Chance Agreement” lists 28 conditions of re-employment that would have restricted his movements and speech on campus and mandated he no longer teach in his specialized field.
In a statement to St. George News on Monday, the university said the agreement was based on specific policy violations that occurred during Peterson’s employment.
“Dr. Peterson has rejected the agreement and thereby resigned his position,” the university’s statement reads.
Shortly after his dismissal, Peterson published his termination letter, in which he was accused of disclosing confidential information about another professor’s employment, slandering university President Richard “Biff” Williams and “failing to demonstrate professional standards of behavior,” among other alleged violations of policy.
McFerran said the university is treating Peterson like a criminal.
“He has done nothing criminal,” she said. “He is a pillar of the community, and he’s an incredible, incredible educator. … It’d be a tragedy to lose him.”
Of the many gathered co-workers and students of Peterson with whom St. George spoke, all gave nothing but effusive praise for the now-unemployed voice instructor.
“My experience with Ken is vast on so many levels. I’ve experienced him happy, I’ve experienced him sad. Every single one of my encounters with him have been good, pleasant, above board,” DSU music graduate and continuing student Jalee Scott said. “He has always been 100 percent professional, ethical, compassionate, helpful. He has never been anything less.”
Amanda Pearson, an adjunct professor teaching introduction to music courses this semester, said Peterson’s dismissal has been a massive loss for music department.
In the wake of Peterson’s and another music professor’s mid-semester termination, Pearson was asked to pick up some of the course load resulting from their dismissal.
“Last semester was pretty demoralizing,” she said. “The music department really functioned like we were in mourning. It really felt like someone had died. It was definitely the worst work conditions I’ve ever faced in my life.”
Pearson said Peterson’s talent is irreplaceable.
“I think there are a few professors in the school of music who could be teaching anywhere, and the reason they stick to here is because they enjoy the culture and the city and the people they work with – and that’s Dr. Peterson. He’s an expert in his field and a stand-up guy.”
The university statement said Peterson’s position as a vocal instructor has already been filled.
“DSU has secured skilled faculty to fill the position, which will ensure that students have full access to instruction,” the statement reads.
But Pearson said the situation goes far beyond the position of just one professor.
“We kind of find ourselves in the same situation as last semester where suddenly we’re looking around and thinking, ‘What does this mean for my career? What am I allowed to say and not say?’” she said, referring to faculty members.
“The goal used to be, you get a full-time position here and hopefully get tenure and then you’re allowed to establish yourself and hopefully build something that sticks. And if professors can’t do that, and they know tenure doesn’t guarantee you anything at Dixie State, then we’re probably not going to get the best people sticking around here to teach.
“It’s not good for alumni. It’s not good for donations or future scholarship funds.”
Along those lines, St. George News confirmed that at least two scholarships have been pulled as a result of the firings and suspensions of Peterson and other professors.
Rhonda Tommer, who was at Monday’s protest, said the scholarships that she and her husband oversee – The Tommer Family Music Education Scholarship and the Tommer Family Communications Scholarship – were rescinded.
“We have since rescinded the scholarships due to what we consider to be very unfair treatment of several faculty members at DSU,” the Tommers said in a statement. “The timing of this disengagement shows us that the needs of the students are last on administration’s list of priorities.”
Tommer said the university should either rescind the last chance agreement or allow Peterson to negotiate the terms.
Peterson said the university refused all of his and his lawyer’s attempts to negotiate the agreement. He said the person responsible for confirming his reinstatement, Elizabeth Hitch, associate commissioner for academic and student affairs for the Utah State Board of Regents, only suggested three conditions for his reemployment: that he be fined, that he not lie about DSU and that he not divulge faculty matters to students.
“That’s an agreement that, although I disagree with in principle, I would have signed,” Peterson said.
After the Aug. 15 deadline passed to sign the last chance agreement, Peterson said he expected to receive a response from the university saying they would take his refusal to sign the document as his resignation.
“To this day I have not received any official communication from the university,” he said, explaining that he only found out indirectly that he was no longer employed when he was denied tuition waivers for two of his sons attending the university.
Peterson said he is preparing for the likely eventuality that he will not have a future at DSU and will probably have to leave Southern Utah.
“I love these people,” he said, referring to the gathered protesters and many other friends he’s made in his 16 years at DSU. “On the flip side, all these people who want me to stay and are fighting for me to stay, I will be torn from. It’s hard to think about, honestly. In order to function normally, I have to try not to think about that.
“What do you say to people who would make sacrifices for you? Thank you isn’t enough.”
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Protesters demonstrate on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Protesters demonstrate on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Protesters demonstrate on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Protesters demonstrate on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Protesters demonstrate on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Protesters demonstrate on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Protesters demonstrate on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Ken Peterson demonstrates alongside his wife and daughter on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Protesters demonstrate on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Protesters demonstrate on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Protesters demonstrate on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Protesters demonstrate on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Ken Peterson (foreground) demonstrates alongside fellow protesters on the Dixie State University campus, St. George, Utah, Aug. 20, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News
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This could become a most “interesting” year at DIXIE State University! Going to just sit back and watch, maybe have some popcorn…
This is NOT the Dixie State I worked at, loved, and had pride in. I have retired, I do not love the new DSU, and I am NOT proud of it. This might be acceptable east of the Mississippi but not west of the Rocky Mountains. I do hope the President is listening carefully to the protests and can see the problems on campus, not just his edifice.
Oh where , oh where, did the board of directors go? Ohhh where oh where can they Be? A song theme this time. I could continue the lyrics but as that title of the popular 70s Led Zepplin movie goes… “The Song Remains The Same”.
So many people talking on these issues, which of course is understandable, but so many forget to mention the forgotten silenced case of Dr. Lewis a few years ago that pre-empts all of this for the persecution of Varlo supporters.
Found this on the internet last year, an audio recording of the meeting with Lewis where Biff fired him for supporting Varlo.
No wonder Lewis has never spoken out (even as former Teacher of the Year when I was a freshman and his student) as Biff alluded that if he spoke out, that Biff would destroy his career.
It is all in audio. When I heard all of this (as a former student of Lewis) I was completely shocked! All of the evidence is there…
Add another one to the count of people who got “biffed” by Biff!
Audio link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAjF6LjP8zo&feature=youtu.be
May St. George please biff old Biff Back to the Past! Let’s bring back the true Dixie Spirit!
-A Concerned Citizen and DSU Alumni
If you want to hear Buff being a BULLY start at minute 34:00… After bullying Lewis, Lewis discloses that he asked for an AFT lawyer to be present, and was told in the context of “professional courtesy” that it was not necessary for one to be present… Even thought Biff went into the meeting planning on firing him and lied. I miss that guy as a professor, best one I ever had at Dixie!
Whoever might be over the administration (such as a University Board of Regents in the SU system, does that exist?) Should do a
(1) thorough investigation of SUU Administration and if actions by administrative staff were improperly taken,
(2) make the necessary changes at that level as necessary.
(3) If the actions were improper, then do away with any disciplinary action taken toward the professors/teachers and reinstate.
This suggested investigation should be transparent for the community so truth of actions taken by all parties are understood by the community.
It’s the St. George way… treat your workers like dirt, people here are so desperate to keep their low-paying jobs they’ll eat whatever they have to. We keep making the “fastest growing area” lists; let’s not forget we’re also at the top of the “lowest paying metro area” lists too. A Dixie College education has never been anything to brag about; it’s good to see that the Administration continues to add to its hard fought reputation with efforts such as this. The Utah Higher Mis-education system should be ashamed of the way Dixie treats its faculty.
Preach. I know several instructors and professors who work there and they are ALL under appreciated. One works her tail off and really makes her classes as good as she can with the limited resources she’s allowed just to have a coworker demand to use the class format verbatim (this coworker is lazy and hasn’t done her own work in many years, but she’s tenured and won’t be fired because of that. Seriously, higher ups told her that.) and having administration back her up in her demands. There is an atmosphere of fear among the faculty. The board of regents need to step up and replace the entire administration.
I have trying to stay out of this discussion because of the unfair generalizations such as Anon has posted, but there is a limit. Replace the entire administration, really! Does that mean all of Administrative and Student Services as these employees are considered administration? That is probably 400 people. Does your generalization also include all Vice-Presidents, Executive Directors, Deans, Department Chairs and even the Athletic Director? All of these are also considered administrators. Now you have over 600 people that should go because you are unhappy. If your wish were to come true, we would probably see the end of DSU as a four year. You could then find another job where you would not be in fear. Such comments are not only unfair but also untrue. DSU has a large number of Administrative employees who work very hard and care greatly for the University. Rub shoulders with them and see if their enthusiasm and love of Dixie will rub off on you.