NEWS
Barrows to receive hearing
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by Michael Gendall
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Paul Barrows wants his good name back, and he may get it if the University of Wisconsin cannot convince an academic staff appeals committee that disciplinary action against the administrator was warranted.
First removed from his position as vice chancellor of student affairs in November 2004, Barrows has been at the center of a highly publicized scandal regarding UW employment practices and policies since last summer.
Concurrent with his return to campus in September 2005, Barrows received a letter of reprimand from since-retired Provost Peter Spear, which among other things retroactively replaced 92 hours of sick leave taken by Barrows with 92 hours of vacation time.
"It will be a significant financial victory in that if we are successful. … Paul's record would be cleared and these allegations against him would be debunked," Lester Pines, Barrows' attorney, said. "Notwithstanding all of the salacious publicity that has been heaped upon him, he will be in a position to advance his career."
Although a UW investigation did not find grounds to terminate Barrows, Spear's letter did reprimand the former vice chancellor for the sexual misconduct that led the university to place Barrows on leave in the first place. The letter also required him to complete sexual harassment training by the end of the calendar year.
Pines said the academic staff appeals committee will hear Barrows' case sometime this semester, although he said he does not believe his client's case is a top priority at this time.
According to UW Communications Director Amy Toburen, the next step will be a pre-hearing conference, which has yet to be scheduled. Because the committee granted Barrows a hearing rather than a review, the burden of proof will be on the university.
Frank Kooistra, chair of the academic staff executive committee, said although the appeals committee is technically advisory to the chancellor, the chancellor would be "hard pressed" not to accept its recommendation.
In this case, however, Kooistra noted the recommendation will go to the provost, as Chancellor John Wiley has long been at the center of the controversy.
Kooistra said he is only loosely involved with the Barrows case, as his committee oversees the academic staff policies and procedures that outline the duties of the appeals committee.
Karen Al-Ashkar, chair of the appeals committee, did not return a phone call seeking comment.
The hearing itself will be closed to the public unless Barrows and his attorney prefer otherwise, a decision Pines said has yet to be determined.
Barrows declined comment when contacted by phone.
Anonymous (February 10, 2006 @ 3:39pm):
Rumor has it that a major grade fraud scandal in the UW-Madison Political Science Department is closely linked to the Barrows case.
Anonymous (April 22, 2006 @ 2:08pm):
Yes, I have heard that too. Apparently,
it is really bad. Preferential grading for student athletes and other such horrors
are involved in this.
Jill
