To: Dr Neville W Bruce
Associate Professor
Anatomy and Human Biology

From: /signed/
Dr Diana I Marinez
Professor, Biochemistry
Senior Faculty Associate, Julian Samora Resarch Institute

Date: March 30, 1993

RE: Dr David Rindos tenure review

Although I have been in contact with Dr Rindos since he took the position at the University of Western Australia and have known of his working conditions and the status of his tenure review, I believed that reason would prevail and that academic governance procedures would be properly followed. Recent events and your letter documenting events indicates that the situation has escalated to a point that I feel obligated to comment on his behalf.

I have known Dr Rindos since December, 1986 when I hired him as Visiting Professor in the then Department of Natural Science which I chaired here at Michigan State University. He cam highly recommended as a scholar by Dr James Atkinson, a developmental biologist in the department. He co-taught NS 129, Biosocial Evolution for two terms with Dr Atkinson and one term independently. Because Dr Rindos did not have experience teaching large classes of non-science majors he was teamed up with Dr Atkinson. It was the policy of the department to mentor new faculty through co-teaching for at least one term. Many of these relationships developed into co-teaching relationships which exist even today. Dr Rindos and Dr Atkinson developed a good teaching relationship and the students responded positively to the course. Dr Rindos not only developed skills in teaching non-science majors, but developed several very creative laboratory exercises for the course. He also established a strong relationship with the Anthropology Department while he was here and taught a very successful graduate course for them. He also informally advised a number of student's research.

Dr Rindos was an active member of the department up until he left in Spring 1988, contributing greatly to the ongoing discussion of educating non-science majors in science, as well as developing creative curriculum materials. He was highly regarded by the faculty and he developed friendships which still exist today. We have remained in touch through email, phone and letters.

Dr Rindos is well known throughout the world for his scholarship and has been very productive in spite of the atmosphere created in the review of the Department of Archaeology and his tenure review in the light of the environment created by the lack of resolution of the problems in Archaeology. I can only assume that his teaching has been very good based on our assessment here at Michigan State University as well as student reports at UWA. An objective assessment by any knowledgeable academic committee (i.e. peers in his field) could come up with only one decision, grant tenure. I understand that the tenure review committee was not composed of members of his field or even a related field. Is this true? As a former administrator I find the circumstances in which Dr Rindos finds himself unworthy of an academic institution and very damaging to a University for allowing this to occur and not resolving the situation in a professional and humanistic manner.

If there is anything I can do to further assist you in your support for Dr Rindos, please contact me. I am glad that there are academics willing to prevent a grave miscarriage of just to retain a most creative and productive faculty member. Please feel free to make copies of my letter and send it to the appropriate individuals.