ARB - Direct Merill Lopez

Will you please state your name for the record?

Merill Lopez

What do you do Mr. Lopez?

I am an assistant professor in the English Department at New Dover University

What is your educational background?

I got my undergraduate and master’s level degrees at Stanford. I received my Ph.D. in 2021 in English, with an emphasis in Nonfiction Writing, from the University of Missouri.

Where do you live now?

New Dover

When did you start teaching at NDU?

I started teaching at NDU in the fall of 2021 and I am on the tenure track

Are there different types of professors at NDU?

Yes. There are both tenured and tenured track professors as well as lecturers

Are there any difference in the obligations between lecturers and tenure professors?

Yes. My job as a tenure track professor differs from lecturers primarily in terms of how much we teach. Because lecturers do not have any research or service obligations, lecturers are able to teach more than tenure track professors. 

As a tenured-track professor, what are your obligations?

I typically teach two classes each semester. I have research obligations as well as service obligations to the University

What are these service obligations?

I am involved in the hiring process within the department and have the ability to vote at faculty meetings.

Are there a lot of duties that tenure track professors have that lecturers do not?

No. To my knowledge, voting is the only one, only the tenured/tenure track faculty can vote. We are all educators at the end of the day.

Mr. Lopez, have you ever had to teach a course that was not in your area of expertise?

Yes, in the spring of 2023, I had to pitch in to teach a European Literature course after an adjunct bailed on us at the last minute. It wasn’t east, but I managed to do it well.

Have other professors in the English department had to teach classes they might not want to?

Yes. Everyone in the English Department has taught some classes that weren’t at the top of their wish list.

I want to talk about the University

Have there been any recent student protests at NDU?

We have not reached that point like some other schools you’ve seen on the news. We are actively working towards addressing the diversity issues New Dover University faces.

Have you heard of any concerns of diversity within the faculty at NDU?

Aside from Jori’s comment, No. In fact, the English Department has made tenure track offers to a number of diverse candidates over the years.

Mr. Lopez, I want to discuss Jori Sanders

What is your relationship with Jori Sanders?

We were colleagues before she was fired

Can you tell us about Jori Sanders’ role in the English Department

Jori was a lecturer in the English Department. Our department was very transparent with our roles so I know she taught primarily writing courses and had no research obligations.

In your opinion, why do you think Jori taught primarily writing courses?

It’s unusual for someone to teach only writing courses. I think Jori didn’t want to teach literature courses due to the additional preparation required. 

Why do literature courses require more preparation?

Because literature courses require more time as well as effort from the professors to prepare formative and summative assessments throughout the year. 

Let’s discuss the hiring process

Was anyone hired in the Spring of 2023?

Yes

Were you involved in the hiring process that took place in Spring 2023?

Yes, I was involved in the process

How does the hiring process typically work in the English Department at New Dover University

We interview candidates and then the tenure-track and tenured faculty vote on who we believe is the best candidate. 

What was Jori’s role in the hiring process?

The role of lecturers in NDU’s hiring process is to help with interviews and answer candidate questions about teaching and the community

Was there anything Jori did outside the scope of her role in the hiring process?

Yes, she was telling tenured professors how to vote. She was also going up and down the hallway the day before trying to sway votes.

Did Jori Sanders express her preference for a specific candidate>

Yes, Jori expressed her preference for La’Tisha Washington

Who was ultimately hired during the Spring 2023 process?

Stuart Ross

Why was Stuart Ross chosen for the position

Our department felt Stuart was simply the best candidate. In fact, he has an excellent first-year and has proved to be a valuable addition to the department.

How did the department decide Stuart Ross was the best candidate for the job?

After interviewing all the candidates, Ash Williams sent out an email asking the tenured/tenured track faculty to rank all the candidates, and clearly Stuart Ross was the best so I ranked him as the top candidate, as did others as he was eventually hired. 

Was Jori instructed to rank the candidates?

No. As she is a lecturer, she does not have a vote and was not supposed to rank them or reply to the email at all.

Did Jori reply to the email?

Yes, she did.

Chief Arbitrator, I am approaching opposing counsel with a portion of what’s been pre-marked as Exhibit K

May I approach the witness with what has been premarked as Exhibit K

Do you recognize this exhibit

yes

What is the first email on page 2 of exhibit K?

It is the email that Jori Sanders sent in response to the English Department

Did you receive this email?

Yes, it was sent to the entire English Department

Is this a fair and accurate copy of the email?

yes

Has it been changed or altered in any way?

No

Respondent tenders Exhibit K; May I publish Exhibit K to the panel

So in this email, what did Jori say?

She called us racists! I'm not sure what Jori was trying to say about the dirty dozen list, but she clearly stated that if we didn’t hire La’Tisha, it would be for no other reason than because of race.

I want the talk about the cause and effect the email had on the English Department

What was the atmosphere of meetings prior to Jori’s email?

Well everyone felt comfortable contributing to the conversation. Meetings were pleasant.

What was the atmosphere of meetings prior to Jori’s email?

Well everyone felt comfortable contributing to the conversation. Meetings were pleasant.

What was your reaction to the email?

I was shocked and found it inappropriate. Jori essentially called the entire department racist, which is not true.

What was the reaction of other faculty members to this email?

The email made everyone uncomfortable. It created a tense atmosphere, and people were afraid to speak freely during meetings.

Did the email have a lasting impact on these department meetings?

Yes, it did. Meetings became awkward, almost intolerable. No one wanted to contribute to the discussions out of fear of being mislabeled a racist or simply just understood. 

Mr. Lopez, how was the department changed since Jori Sanders is no longer employed at NDU?

For the best. The fear of contributing at meetings is much less now that she is gone. She was not a team player and I think the English Department will function much more smoothly now.