When it was announced in January that the contracts of two directors from the Office of International Programs would not be renewed, reaction throughout the University community varied from shock, to anger, to confusion.
Thankfully there’s no longer need for such sentiments. It has been announced that Magid Shirzadegan and Kathy Poole will have their contracts reinstated and will be allowed to continue working for the University beyond this year. Shirzadegan is director of International Student and Scholar Services, and Poole is director of Study Abroad Programs.
Shirzadegan and Poole are both longtime faculty members at the University. That they will be allowed to continue their work here is a great service to the University. But it’s troubling to hear that Shirzadegan still doesn’t know why he was initially dismissed.
What happened? Why were Shirzadegan and Poole dismissed in the first place, and why did it take Provost Linda Brady longer than a month to realize she had made a mistake? We may never fully know the answer to either of those questions, because much of the pertinent information is shrouded in secrecy.
News that Shirzadegan and Poole will be staying was met with as much relief as their initial termination was met with outrage. Had Brady not reneged on the decision to dismiss Shirzadegan and Poole, her capacity to handle the role of provost is what ultimately would have needed to be reconsidered.
When the Emerald originally reported on their dismissal, dozens of international students and alumni responded via dailyemerald.com, expressing outrage and disbelief over how two highly valuable members of the University could be suddenly and inexplicably released from their contracts. Thankfully no irreparable damage has been done, now that it’s clear Shirzadegan and Poole will be able to continue working for students. Likewise, this incident is one the University will be able to move past with its reputation intact.
But firing two experienced faculty members and subsequently reinstating them for reasons unknown is, in all respects, bizarre. In a telephone interview following her decision to reinstate the directors, Brady noted it was the first time she had reversed a decision, saying, “I think it is always important to be open to reconsideration of a decision.”
In the aftermath of the dismissals, Brady called on Special Assistant Lorraine Davis to investigate the decision and file a report by Feb. 25. That report, and an ongoing one evaluating the Office of International Affairs, was apparently enough to make Brady reverse her previous decision, a reversal we commend her for. Although the initial decision never should have been made, reversing it shows that she is willing to fix a mistake, even at the expense of losing some face.