Professor Jyl Lynn Felman (WMNS) was told that her contract will not be renewed for the following academic year after eight years of teaching at Brandeis. Last year, her contract was also not renewed. After student protests, vigils, sit-ins and administration meetings —including a campus wide referendum saying that the students want to keep Felman here — her contract was renewed for one more year. Now that the year is up, she is not being rehired to continue teaching at Brandeis."At that time, and since then, absolutely no reason for my contract being terminated was given to me directly, and has not been given since," said Felman.

Current Women's Studies Chair Professor Susan Lanser, who was part of an executive committee made up of six faculty members that recommended to Dean of Arts and Sciences Jessie Ann Owens to not renew Professor Felman's contract, would not comment on the reasons as to why Felman's contract was not recommended for renewal. She cited confidentiality in personal matters, but said that the committee considers many factors including curricular needs for the upcoming year.

Owens did not answer the Justice's request for comment. Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Elaine Wong and Provost Mel Bernstein have both said that they know little about the decision.

Felman believes she has not been rehired because of a lack of understanding of her teaching. "I am disappointed that Brandeis does not have a place for me, and that my teaching is so thoroughly misunderstood. Clearly, I have outgrown Brandeis. My vision of what Women's Studies ought to be and what it is in the process of becoming have very little in common," she said.

Felman said she thinks she was misunderstood, in her use of texts, in class assignments and personal experiences in class. "I teach from a place of connection rather than disconnection with my students; that I use performance to teach theory; my students actively mentor each other," she said.

In her own defense, Felman cited reviews from students. "I was voted by the senior class of 1999 the second most important person at Brandeis out of over 350 faculty," she said.

"All of my classes at one time or another were voted in the top 15, sometimes 10 best classes at Brandeis. I have never in eight years of teaching received less than a 4.72, and often my classes receive a 4.9 or 5.00. This is not to say that every student who has taken a class with me, liked my classes or my teaching approach; there were and will always be criticisms of me and style because I am not a quiet, blend-in, don't-make-waves, traditionally academic person, and my teaching style is extremely nontraditional, controversial and does not work for everyone, nor should it," she said.

Lanser said that Felman's reviews by the students were considered when making the decision not to renew her contract.

"The committee took student evaluations

seriously into account along with many other factors; we look at the teaching and curricular context as a whole. In relation to how we see the curriculum developing in relationship" she said.

"We are in the process of expanding our undergraduate curriculum in a way that addresses international, multicultural, and theoretical questions," Lanser said.

"We can't always offer the same courses every year. Part of our personnel decisions involve this planning," Lanser said.

"We are exploring the possibility of creating a gender and writing course and Professor Felman would be eligible to apply for such a course," Lanser said.

Felman said the current curriculum in Women's Studies is severely lacking.

"Cutting edge courses on all aspects gender, sexuality, race and class are absent from the curriculum, or when taught, are taught from a single perspective and/or discipline, not combining material from a variety of disciplines," Felman said.

"This was a difficult decision which emerged from a carefully developed process," Lanser said.

"I know the decision is disappointing to some students," Lanser said.

"What I will miss most about Brandeis is the students. I have been fortunate

to work with a diverse student population, as my classes attract students

from different ethnic, class, and sexual orientations. Many of my students

speak several languages, of which English is not their birth language. My

students come prepared to class to engage the material and each other. It

was exhilarating to teach at Brandeis. I learned an enormous amount from my

students," said Felman.

"I have a deep hole in my stomach when thinking about leaving Brandeis and the

way I was terminated. That is, with absolutely not a single thank you from

the administration or from the Women's Studies Program in general. Although

the students continue to appreciate me, my work, and my many contributions

to Brandeis, I have never formally been appreciated or thanked," said Felman.