WSU Hiring Under Scrutiny College Of Education Hires Two To Replace One Teacher

Washington State University apparently didn’t know how valuable Cynthia Christie was until after it sent her packing.

In a move that raises questions of retaliation, nepotism and overzealous minority recruitment, Christie’s College of Education contract was not renewed last May.

In her place, WSU hired two other professors at more than twice the cost - who took over her courses in health education, first aid and first aid instruction.

One of the new professors is Gerdean Tan, the wife of the WSU communications school director.

The other is Keith Harrison, an African-American hired in the midst of the university’s push to recruit more minority faculty.

While Harrison has a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, some 80 students in his first aid and first aid instruction classes cannot be approved by the American Red Cross, as they were when Christie taught. The classes are required for several university majors, and he lacks sufficient credentials to teach them.

After an official from the local Red Cross voiced concerns in October, WSU hired Christie back to teach one of Harrison’s classes at an additional cost of $3,500 for less than a month’s work.

For roughly the same teaching load, WSU ended up paying more than $36,000 this semester for what once cost less than $14,000.

Bevan Maxey, Christie’s lawyer, contends she was dismissed in retaliation for speaking out for the continued funding of the health education program in a 1993 budget hearing. While faculty supported its funding, the College of Education administration did not.

“She was afraid at the time that retaliation would take place,” Maxey said. “She spoke to people about that. And in fact that’s exactly what happened.”

“As soon as you rock the boat and stand up to somebody,” he added, “this is what you get.”

Christie, 39, has since filed sex-discrimination complaints with WSU’s Center for Human Rights and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She declined to comment.

During 14 years of teaching, she received topnotch evaluations from students.

College of Education Dean Bernard Oliver said Christie’s contract was not renewed because she does not have a Ph.D., which would make make the school more competitive when applying for grants.

“Cindy’s notion about retaliation doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me, but that’s her prerogative,” Oliver said. “When you’re on year-to-year contracts, the university doesn’t have a prerogative to hire you.”

Maxey said university officials in the past told Christie her job - which was actually on a three-year contract - didn’t require the Ph.D. Officials said her course load - typically five classes a semester - made pursuing one unfeasible, Maxey said.

“I encouraged her to go for a Ph.D., actually,” said Oliver. “… At one point she said she didn’t think it was necessary for the kind of work she was doing.”

Tan and Harrison were not hired only to replace Christie, he said.

Tan was hired because she knew about the “integrated services” approach to health education in which the professor collaborates with public health, education and juvenile services officials. Harrison was hired to teach “physical education pedagogy” - teaching gym class, Oliver said.

But with the exception of one pedagogy class taught by Harrison, the two new hires are essentially replacing Christie.

One month into fall semester, the American Red Cross’s Colfax office received “numerous phone calls expressing concern over the lack of organization, content and quality” of Harrison’s first aid class, Julie Smith, the office manager, wrote school officials.

Oliver said Harrison was cleared by the Red Cross in August to teach first aid and methods of first aid instruction.

But when Harrison called Smith for instructional materials that he should have received in an instructor training class, Smith checked and realized he did not have a sufficient level of certification.

As a result, said Marci Henderson, statewide director of chapter services, the 76 students in his first aid class cannot receive American Red Cross certificates. That prompted Edward Udd, chairman of the education college’s Department of Kinesiology and Leisure Studies, to offer Christie $3,500 to teach the course for the rest of the semester.

“It’s extremely ironic that they would have to rehire her and even approach her about training the person to take her position,” Maxey said.

Her hiring does not address problems with HED 463, the higher-level first aid instruction class, where Harrison’s lack of qualifications will bar students from being authorized to teach first aid, Henderson said.

“Dr. Udd is aware of this,” she said, “that the only person qualified in Whitman County to teach 463 is Cynthia Christie.”

Students in the class have complained to university ombudsman Mary Gallwey, who is looking into options that include having someone else finish teaching the instructor course, said Julia Anne Pomerink, assistant registrar.

A tuition refund - $302 for each of the class’s five students - is also possible if it is determined the university made an error, Pomerink said.

“This sounds as if that’s at least partially the case,” she said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: WSU prefers Ph.Ds