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February 9, 2016

VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL AND USPS

President Simon P. Newman

Mount St. Marys University

205 Bradley Hall

16300 Old Emmitsburg Road

Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727

Dear President Newman:

This Association has been advised by Professor Thane Naberhaus, until recently a tenured

associate professor of philosophy with twelve years of service at Mount St. Marys University,

of your letter of February 8, 2016, informing him of his dismissal from the faculty effective

immediately. As the only basis for the dismissal, you state that his recent actions have

violated a duty of loyalty to this University. You do not, however, further specify the actions

to which you refer, and Professor Naberhaus has informed us that he is unaware of what these

actions might be. We understand that Professor Naberhaus was not afforded a dismissal

hearing. Coming, as it did, on the heels of public criticism over statements attributed to you,

the dismissal raises the question whether it was in response to this criticism. Press reports have

indicated that two additional faculty members either may have been dismissed or will be

dismissed.

Assuming the accuracy of the information in our possession, we are writing to advise you that

your administrations action to dismiss Professor Naberhaus without having first

demonstrated adequacy of cause in a faculty hearing is fundamentally at odds with basic

standards of academic due process as set forth in the enclosed 1940 Statement of Principles on

Academic Freedom and Tenure and the complementary Statement on Procedural Standards in

Faculty Dismissal Proceedings. Both documents were jointly formulated with the Association of

American Colleges and Universities, and the principles and procedural standards they

espouse are widely observed throughout US higher education.

An administrations dismissal of a tenured faculty member absent demonstration of adequate

cause in a hearing of record before a duly constituted faculty body is a matter of basic concern

to our Association under its longstanding responsibilities. We therefore urge in strongest

terms that you immediately rescind the notice of dismissal issued to Professor Naberhaus and

that any subsequent action be consistent with the procedural standards cited above. We are

February 9, 2016

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additionally concerned about the reported threat of summary dismissal against other members

of the Mount St. Marys faculty, and we strongly urge that any action against them be

consistent with these procedural standards.

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Hans-Joerg Tiede

Associate Secretary

Enclosures (by electronic mail only)

Cc: John E. Coyne, III, Chair, Board of Trustees

Dr. Jennie Hunter-Cevera, Interim Provost

Professor Michelle Tokarczyk, President, Maryland Conference of the AAUP

Professor Thane Naberhaus