CSC - ISU Intelligent Design Prof Loses Tenure Bid

Original Article

AMES - After Iowa State University denied a professor tenure last spring, he appealed, saying he wasn't awarded the promotion because he supports the theory of intelligent design.

On Thursday, the state Board of Regents voted to uphold ISU's decision on Guillermo Gonzalez, an assistant professor of astronomy and physics. After going through a string of appeals, Thursday's decision was the last chance for Gonzalez to see his case within the regents' system. He said he is unsure whether he will go to court.

While ISU President Gregory Geoffroy said his decision to deny Gonzalez tenure was based on academic criteria, Gonzalez contends he was suitable for promotion and the president's decision was based on his being proponent of intelligent design.

In 2004, Gonzalez published a book, The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery, which asserts his belief in the possibility of intelligent design.

In August 2005, a petition circulated on the ISU campus denouncing the use of intelligent design in science. Gonzalez said he believes this incident predetermined the denial of his promotion.

Geoffroy upheld his decision when Gonzalez appealed last spring, saying it was based solely on Gonzalez's collection of research, teaching, and service - not on intelligent design.

The regents spoke in closed session before reconvening in open session around an hour later. They upheld the university's decision and voted 7-1 to deny Gonzalez tenure. Regent Craig Lang was the sole vote against its decision; Regent Michael Gartner did not attend the meeting.

Gonzalez was disappointed by the move but said the vote was expected.

"If academic freedom doesn't defend the professor with minority viewpoints, what good is it?" he told reporters after the Regents' decision.

Regents denied the Gonzalez's request to give an oral argument at the closed session. He was allowed to be present for the vote and to present regents with extra material to further his case.

He believes the vote may have turned out differently had the regents considered e-mail messages obtained earlier this summer through an open records request by the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based intelligent design movement.

The e-mails were gathered from professors and administrators who reviewed and voted on Gonzalez's tenure, and the organization said they prove that ISU trampled on the academic freedom of Gonzalez and did not give him a fair tenure process.

"I don't see how they come to reach an informed decision without all of the relevant facts," Gonzalez said.