Anatomy of an academic firing

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Former University of Guelph professor Doug Powell says he has been fired from his professorship at Kansas State University. While at Guelph, Powell launched Food Safety Net, an Internet-based compilation of food safety issues worldwide. It was widely followed, but one Ontario agriculture ministry veterinarian confessed to Better Farming that he unsubscribed because the litany of food safety disasters was too depressing.    

Powell renamed his chronicle "barfblog.com" when he moved stateside. On Mar. 29, Powell wrote: "Today I was told my contract would not be renewed beyond June 30, 2013, because of bad attendance."

He continued: "I was hired by K-State in 2006 for my food safety outreach activities, research and teaching. I was promoted to full professor in 2010 in recognition of successfully fulfilling those objectives." He went on to describe a wide-ranging and successful academic career. Powell planned to follow his wife to Brisbane, Australia, where she had been offered a tenure position at the University of Queensland. "I consulted with the dean of the vet college, and my department chair and, given the electronic and eclectic nature of my research, extension and teaching, they agreed to experiment with me being based in Brisbane," Powell wrote.

"Today I was told my contract would not be renewed beyond June 30, 2013, because of bad attendance. I'm getting fired for not being there to hold my colleague's hand during tea. Stay tuned. Lawyers are up next." BF