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USM Forum -- Message Board -> AAUP-USM MESSAGE BOARD -> Age Discrimination?
Post Info TOPIC: Age Discrimination?
A. Dialogue

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Age Discrimination?
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Please comment on this conversation:


A: Well, do you think SFT will get an extension of his contract?


 


B: No, the word going around is that he will not.


 


A: I hear several different ideas on this. 


On what do they base the “no new contract“ idea?


 


B: The signs are all there. SFT’s top people have all left except for 2 maybe 3.  In addition the IHL Board has a way for all to “save face”.


 


A:Oh, what is that?


 


B: They have a policy of not giving contracts to Presidents who are 70 or more.  SFT will be 70 next year.


 


A:  I read about that policy in The Independent.  But then I heard that was back in the ‘90s before the law against age discrimination.  So I’m not sure that policy applies in SFT’s case.


 


B: Wrong.  The federal law against age discrimination only applies to those below the retirement age of 65.  The Board’s policy will guarantee SFT will not get another term and all can “save face”.


 



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what a fool believes

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What year was Shelby Thames born?  He seems to be getting younger... I thought he was 69 when he took office.  BTW, Sister Harkins in School of Nursing was "retired" early using the age card....she left USM and started two more BSN programs and secured national accreditation for each of them!  Seems the USM adminstration (I have no idea who "they" were at the time) felt like it was time for new leadership in SON when Dr. Harkins was "gently" reminded of the IHL age policy.  Sister would have stayed in position until her dying breath...many years later she moved back to Hattiesburg and, as Dean Emeritus, had an office in Harkins Hall, came in several times a week until a couple of weeks before she died.  She was always there with sage advice--but only when asked--and never came to faculty meetings..had to insist for her to even attend social events!  Very different situation from SFT...




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Fountain of Youth

Date:
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quote:
Originally posted by: A. Dialogue
"Wrong.  The federal law against age discrimination only applies to those below the retirement age of 65."

That is not my understanding, but all I know is what I was told. Without information from a knowledgable source I would take this with a grain of salt.


 



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Young Whippersnapper

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My guess is that if the university could get rid of tenured faculty members when they reached 65 quite a few of those who are still here would not be here.



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stinky cheese man

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try this website for age discrimination laws:


http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination/agedisc.htm


 



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65 skidoo

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quote:
Originally posted by: stinky cheese man
"try this website for age discrimination laws: http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination/agedisc.htm  "
I read those sites hastily and might have missed something, but I didn't see anything that said when a faculty member reaches 65 they are not protected against age discrimination. Stinky, did I miss something? Does a faculty member lose their civil rights and become less of a person at 65?

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Hortense

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Please do not take this the wrong way, but it seems to be that saying that only a person under 65 is protected by the anti- age discrimination laws is like saying that a person is protected by the anti- gender discrimination laws only until their reach menopause or become impotent.

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stinky cheese man

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my reading of the laws is that you cannot discriminate against someone because of their age (that's oversimplifying some). if the IHL has such a policy (and i've seen no convincing evidence it does) it would probably be a violation of these age discrimination laws.

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Position Announcement

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FACULTY POSITION OPEN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. Rank: Distinguished Professor. USM is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Preference given to younger candidates. Applicants 65 and over need not apply.



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Anonymouse

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quote:
Originally posted by: what a fool believes
"What year was Shelby Thames born?  "


SHELBY F THAMES 10-AUG-36

see: http://www.stevenmorse.org/birthday/birthday.html

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Tenure and out, old man

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quote:
Originally posted by: A. Dialogue
"The federal law against age discrimination only applies to those below the retirement age of 65."
If this is true that means that academic tenure ceases at age 65. After that you would be an "at will" employee. I find it difficult to buy that. That's not what the tenure letters say.

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Outside Observer

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I read somewhere that there are occupations where mandatory retirement at 70 is allowed, and i believe college professors were one of these.  I assume it's in the age discrimination in employment act somewhere

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stinky cheese man

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the mandatory retirement laws for higher education were repealed in 1994. there is some earlier thread on this rumor where i showed the relevant laws.

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Outside Observer

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Thanks SCM

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Reporter

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My understanding is we are not discussing tenure at all.  The issue, according to The Independent, is the IHL Board has a policy of not renewing contracts of presidents 70 and over.  Presidents, as all administrators, do not have tenure to the position they hold, but only as members of their department. 


I was getting confused by the discussions of age discrimination to other situations.



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