2008 Woodie Awards
No felons, period
UA defers potential summer reading selection because of author's criminal history
Joe Habbyshaw
Issue date: 1/30/07 Section: News
In recent months, the University of Akron public relations department has been under attack. With reports of multiple felons living in dorms popping up in national headlines, UA has done everything in its power to keep the bad press at bay.
With a recent decision, however, several faculty members believe the administration has gone too far.
Each year, a panel of UA professors on the Common Reading Committee meets to select a book for the summer reading program for incoming freshmen. The author of the selected book is then invited to campus to speak about the book.
At the end of the fall semester, the committee had yet to select a book, but they had narrowed the selection to two: "A Place to Stand" by Jimmy Santiago Baca and "An Ordinary Man" by Paul Rusabagina.
However, UA administration deferred the use of Baca's book until 2008 because Baca is a felon.
Lori Reinbolt, director of new student orientation, explained the decision in an e-mail to members of the committee.
"The committee's recommendation for 'A Place to Stand' by Jimmy Santiago Baca has been deferred to 2008," Reinbolt said in the e-mail. "This means that the university administration does not support the use of this book at this time due to recent campus events involving students with criminal records residing in the residence halls and the media coverage of those events."
Several UA faculty members and members of the committee have expressed discontent with the move. English professor and director of English composition Bill Thelin is one of them.
"First, the incident of felons living in the dorm is simply an excuse not to use a book that for whatever reason offends the sensibility of the powers that be," Thelin said. "When the objections were first raised to using Jimmy Santiago Baca's book, no mention was made of the dorm room scandal."
According to Thelin, Baca's book was being considered last year, "even before the unfortunate suicide of Charels Plinton." He believes the decision to defer the use of the book is not simply a public relations decision.
With a recent decision, however, several faculty members believe the administration has gone too far.
Each year, a panel of UA professors on the Common Reading Committee meets to select a book for the summer reading program for incoming freshmen. The author of the selected book is then invited to campus to speak about the book.
At the end of the fall semester, the committee had yet to select a book, but they had narrowed the selection to two: "A Place to Stand" by Jimmy Santiago Baca and "An Ordinary Man" by Paul Rusabagina.
However, UA administration deferred the use of Baca's book until 2008 because Baca is a felon.
Lori Reinbolt, director of new student orientation, explained the decision in an e-mail to members of the committee.
"The committee's recommendation for 'A Place to Stand' by Jimmy Santiago Baca has been deferred to 2008," Reinbolt said in the e-mail. "This means that the university administration does not support the use of this book at this time due to recent campus events involving students with criminal records residing in the residence halls and the media coverage of those events."
Several UA faculty members and members of the committee have expressed discontent with the move. English professor and director of English composition Bill Thelin is one of them.
"First, the incident of felons living in the dorm is simply an excuse not to use a book that for whatever reason offends the sensibility of the powers that be," Thelin said. "When the objections were first raised to using Jimmy Santiago Baca's book, no mention was made of the dorm room scandal."
According to Thelin, Baca's book was being considered last year, "even before the unfortunate suicide of Charels Plinton." He believes the decision to defer the use of the book is not simply a public relations decision.
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