College case continues
By MARK PHILLIPS
and
DAVE MASON
PORT TOWNSEND — A
lack of documents before the
court was the reason Judge
Tyler Moffett gave for not
ruling whether Peninsula
College’s fired continuing
education director and
speech teacher had tenure.
Moffett denied Tom
Hostetler’s attorney a summary judgment last Friday in
the Jefferson County Superior Court. The judge also
rejected the college’s
attorney’s motion to dismiss
the case.
Moffett refused both
requests because of insufficient data. Several times lhe
judge told Randolph he
could not rule on the case
without seeing documents
lhe attorney had referred to.
Hostetler’s attorney,
Robert Randolph, asked for
Hostetler to be reinstated as
continuing education director immediately. The judge
would not rule on the
request.
Randolph claimed the
documents show Hostetler
was illegally fired. He said
Moffett could make the
ruling without the papers.
“Look, if you argued this
to me now and I had to make
a decision based on what I
have here, you’d lose,”
Moffett told Randolph.
Moffett said he won’t
make a decision until he has
read the documents in
question.
Last week Hostetler said
his suit against the college
trustees and college president
Paul Cornaby would go to
court May 1 if Moffett did
not rule the Jan. 28 firing
was illegal.
Randolph, Hosteller’s
lawyer, claimed his client
passed three tests of the 1969
state Community College
Tenure Aci.
Gary Andrews, assistant
state attorney general for
community colleges, argued
the legislature had never
intended for part-time
teachers to get tenure.
Although Hostetler was a
full-time PC employee, he
never taught a full load (15
credits), Andrews said. The
college’s lawyer said former
PC President E. John Maier
and current President Paul
Cornaby signed affidavits
saying the college has never
had a full-time speech
teacher.
Hosteller had tenure,
Randolph said, because he
was PC faculty member
before lhe tenure act, an
employee other than the
president, and had faculty
status until June 13, 1973.
The continuing education
director got administrative
status and a third level
adminstrator’s salary that
year, the lawyer said.
Moffett asked to see a list
of administrators and 1979-
80 faculty. The list was
referred to in a 1979 Board
of Trustees meeting’s
minutes but was not attached
to the minutes.
Maier’s affidavit made no
mention of Hostetler being a
member of the faculty, said
Andrews. ‘‘The college
board of trustees are the sole
authorities to grant tenure
and they know when it’s not
tenure,” he said.
Randolph disagreed.
Trustees can’t determine
tenure, Hostetler’s attorney
said, because “they’re not
lawyers.”
Andrews moved for the
case to be dismissed. He said
a slate agency can’t legally be
sued. Peninsula College is a
state agency, the assistant
attorney general said.
“Nothing could be
accomplished by dismissing
the whole action,” Randolph
argued
Moffett did not rule or
comment on Andrews’ claim
that federal district court
should have jurisdiction over
the Hostetler case.
A memo from Cornaby
said the reason for Hostetler’s dismissal was “historic
failure to complete assignments.” In a recent desposition the PC president listed
other reasons as failure to
develop an Associate of Arts
(AA) degree program for
night classes, failure to
develop a policy on low
enrollment in evening
courses, and scheduling too
many night classes.
The former continuing
education director is suing
the college to get his job back
and to collect damages for
alleged mental distress, harm
to his professional reputation, and loss of his right to
get another job in education.
Scene around campus
Pipe puffing math instructor turning over new leaf by consistently arriving early for 8 a.m. class . . . Biology instructor
gingerly wiping strange blob off head after conversation with
bird . . . Hot rodder nearly causing accident in parking lot . . .
Flowers blooming . . . Creative writing students spying in Pub
for scene description assignment . . . Dormie violently disassembling stereo on asphalt outside of dorm …
Springfest is community event
“I want to emphasize the
community as a whole
should come in and enjoy the
events,” Student Council
President Steve Shirley said
about the upcoming Springfest activities.
Shirley encourages people
to tell their friends and
family about the events.
“We also wanted to get
something that appeals to the
older students,” the student
leader said.
He cited the noon concerts
bent toward that angle. “It’s
something they (older
students) can relate to.”
Shirley stressed the need
for participation in the open
mike talent show May 7
“We need participation. It
can be a poetry reading or
dancing and singing,” he
said.
Shirley also suggested
comedy routines a skit with a
group of friends, or a
performance with a musical
instrument.
Faculty and staff are
encouraged to participate in
the show also, he said.
Anyone interested in the
talent show can contact Ron
Swickley.
General prices for May 5
to May 9 Springfest activities
are one dollar, except otherwise noted. The events are:
Friday, May 2 — Film:
“Bread and Chocolate”—
presented by the Peninsula
Film Society. Students and
Society Members, $2.50;
others: $3.50. 8 p.m. in the
Little Theater. Accompanied
by Betty Boop Double
feature.
Saturday, May 3 — Film:
The Grateful Dead.
Presented by Associated
Students. Students, faculty
and staff; $1. Others: $2.50.
Little Theater at 8 p.m.
Monday, May 5 —
Official start of Springfest.
Noon: Kite Flying contest,
costume contest, The
Threshing Floor. All events
will be in lhe college plaza if
weather permits. Evening: 8
p.m. a hypnotist will
entertain ‘
Tuesday, May 6 — Noon:
Little Theater. Nelson
Bentley, Director of Creative
Writing program and widely
published University of
Washington poet will read
poetry. Evening: The films
“Easy Rider” and “Drive,
He Said” start at 8 p.m.
Wednesday, May 7 —
Noon—Music from Steve
and Maureen (Immediately
following student body
election speeches.) Evening:
Ron Swickley’s special open
mike talent show. 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 8 — Noon
— Poetry reading: William
Pitt Root, widely published
poet/teacher in Little
Theater. Evening: Films
Carnal Knowledge and The
Graduate. 8 p.m. in the Little
Theater.
Council announces new membership
The Peninsula College
faculty association committee endorsed a grievance
committee statement backing
Tom Hostetler in his effort
to get his job back.
The statement was read by
English teacher Jack Estes at
the March 19 trustees
meeting.
The statement summarized
the committee’s dismay
about lhe circumstances of
the continuing education
director’s firing.
A few of the faculty didn’t
support lhe statement. “The
faculty members who spoke
out against the statement felt
it was overly sentimental,”
said Estes. “It had nothing
to do with how they felt
about Tom Hostetler.”
Estes added he didn’t
believe there was any hidden
motive behind Hosteller’s
dismissal.
“By law, it had to have
been brought up by now,” he
said. “We’ll wait for the time
being,” Estes said about lhe
grievance committee’s future
plans.
Council announces new membership
Membership of lhe student
council recently underwent
shuffling. The former secretary-treasurer, sophomore
representative, and freshman
representative posts were all
vacated and re-filled with
new students.
The new secretary-treasurer is Sharon Gilleland. She
replaces Ann Pazan, who
resigned last March before
leaving Peninsula.
“She was (the one) most
qualified for the job,” said
Student Council President
Steve Shirley. Gilleland was
selected for the position
despite the fact she will leave
for Highline next year, a
drawback, noted Shirley.
Replacing Jim Harris as
sophomore representative is
John Fors, a former Student
Council Treasurer.
Replacing Sharon
Gilleland as freshman representative is Dave Fairchild,
former student body
president at Port Angeles
High School.
Editorial: Tenure puzzle
Tenure, college jargon for faculty job security, could take a
new form after Tom Hostetler’s suit. His case will set a
precedent for tenure court cases throughout the state and
probably throughout the country.
The fired Peninsula College continuing education director
and speech teacher is suing the college to get his job back
and for damages. His case relies on whether his attorney can
convince the judge that Hostetler had tenure. The suit goes
to court May 1.
Tenured teachers can be fired but only under a particular
procedure. College President Paul Cornaby apparently did
not follow that procedure in dismissing Hostetler Jan. 28.
That’s why the tenure question is so crucial to whether the
firing was legal.
The 1969 state Community College Tenure Act requires a
faculty member (teacher, counselor, or librarian) to serve
three probationary years with a school before becoming
tenured. Towards the end of each probationary year, a staff
evaluation committee and the college president
recommends whether the faculty member will be rehired.
The Board of Trustees votes on the recommendation.
The tenure law applies well to full-time faculty members.
It’s less clear, though, about full-time employees who teach
part-time. Hostetler never taught a full load (15 credits).
Gary Andrews, the state assistant attorney general for
community colleges, said in court last Friday the legislature
never intended for part-time teachers to have tenure. The
fired continuing education director did teach, was a full-time
employee, and had faculty status until 1973.
HostetlerJias been a part-time teacher, part-time administrator—a category apparently not well covered by the 1969
law.
If the former PC employee wins the case, part-time
teachers and administrators could have a better chance for
claiming tenure. Currently administrators do not have tenure
under the 1969 law.
Robert Randolph, Hostetler’s attorney, claimed Hostetler
had tenure because he was a PC faculty member before the
tenure act was passed. The law gives tenure to faculty
members working at a college before the tenure act,
Randolph said.
Each lawyer presents good arguments. Contradictions may
be found in the tenure law. The result could be that to some
degree both sides are right.
Hostetler’s suit also challenges the right of trustees to
determine whether a faculty member has tenure. If Hostetler
wins the suit, community college boards would have a
weaker say in determining tenure.
If Hostetler loses his case, community college presidents
will be in a more comfortable spot in firing employees.
Faculty members whose future tenure is in a gray area could
be in trouble (but not necessarily).
Laws are shaped and changed not only by legislatures but
by courts. Hostetler’s suit could change the 1969 Community
College Tenure Act and community college employer employee relations. – Dave Mason.
Startrek:Star trek warped
By MARK PHILLIPS
Maybe it’s a nightmare, I
thought, as the final images
of Star Trek-The Motion
Picture rolled off the screen.
Maybe I’m in bed imagining
just how bad a Star Trek
movie could be.
Yet when I stumbled out
of Lincoln Theater, I realized
it was no nightmare. It was
reality. I had seen the
destruction of a 10-year
dream. Star Trek-The
Motion Picture was not
worth the 10-year wait.
Writing these words isn’t
easy. I consider Star TrekThe Television Series to be
the best TV program ever
aired. The movie is something else. When you have
waited 10 years for a $45
million movie, you expect it
at least to be entertaining.
It’s not. It has its
moments, like the
destruction of the Klingons,
a few shots of the Enterprise,
DeForest Kelley’s portrayal
of McCoy . . . but there
should be more.
Captain Kirk, as played by
William Shatner, is a dull
and aging man. Shatner is no
longer projecting the
vibrancy of the old Kirk.
Instead, Shatner is playing
himself, only rarely slipping
into Kirk’s mannerisms.
Leonard Nimoy fares little
better. He’s either tired of
his character or recovering
from a hang-over. In any
case, he isn’t memorable.
Film reviews
The other regulars are still
pushing buttons and following orders. They don’t even
relate to each other. Two
newcomers, Decker and Lt.
Illia, are so one dimensional
they’re not worth discussing.
As for the story, it takes
about half the decade to get
there.
A computer cloud is racing
toward earth and will obliterate humanity unless it’s given
a human soul. A re-tread of
the Star Trek episode, The
Changeling, the film is
mechanically directed by
Robert Wise.
The movie is also inhibited
and almost totally devoid of
suspense. It would help if we
cared for the characters, but
except for McCoy, we’ve
been given wooden zombies.
The biggest attraction of
the movie, and what took up
most of the budget, are the
special effects. Unfortunately, the effects are like pretty
cartoon visuals. They get
boring after the first fifteen
minutes.
Even the Enterprise,
except in extreme close-ups,
is unconvincing and lacks the
grainy realism of the
television Enterprise.
Sequences of the starship
entering warp drive are direct
rip-offs from Han Solo’s
hyperdrive stint in Star Wars.
The interior of the ship is a
matter of personal opinion.
While the sets are lavish,
they’re also cold and
antiseptic.
In fact, the whole movie is
one big deep freeze. There is
one bright spot, though.
When producer and Star
Trek creator Gene Roddenberry makes a sequel, at least
he’ll have the blueprint of a
disaster to work from.
Star Trek movie is good sci-fi
By TIM CHAMBERLAIN
Mark, you ignorant fool.
Only the purest Trekkie
could find enough wrong
with Star Trek-The Motion
Picture to write it off as a
nightmare.
Sure, the Enterprise didn’t
look just like the original,
but you have to make room
for progess.
As for Captain Kirk and
the rest of the crew, they
aged very well, considering it
has been 10 years since they
took to the skies. Kirk
particularly. He was in
surprisingly good shape for a
man who’s been doing
Shoppers Drug Mart
commercials for ten years.
The special effects were
almost worth the enormous
sum they cost. Of course, they
didn’t blow me out of my
seat like some of the scenes in
2001: A Space Odyssey, but
after years of special effects
getting better and better, I
was duly impressed with
what Star Trek had to offer
—the best effects I’ve seen
yet.
The film, as far as modern
films go, was a bit lengthy,
but it takes a long time for a
bona-fide epic to unfold.
Besides, when the film really
got rolling, I wasn’t in any
real hurry to see it end. The
long, silent pictorial scenes
were ice for the sci-fi special
effects buffs and gave
popcorn getters enough time
to make it back to their seats,
without missing any of the
sparse but pithy dialogue.
The characters were
resurrected very well from
the old TV series. Dr. McCoy
was particularly amusing, up
to his old tricks, trying to get
under Spock’s thick skin
with barbed comebacks to
the Vulcan’s logical explanations of everything.
