Editor:

Trisha Beck has been confused about several aspects relating to her employment in my department. First, she was never a professor of any type in the department.

We hire people with less than a doctorate on a one-time basis to teach a particular course at the title of instructor. It is a one-time, temporary title.

Second, she continues to assert the reason I replaced her in the course was the political pressure placed on the university or the college on me to fire her. That is totally false. Political pressure had nothing to do with my decision. My decision was based totally and completely on my realization that she could not handle the political science aspects of the course. I decided to take over the course to ensure that every course offered in my department met the high standards we have at the U.

Beck repeats her story often and apparently she believes political pressures played a role in the decision. I cannot help what she believes.

Ronald J. Hrebenar

Professor & Chair

Political Science Department