Castaneda also claims that the department's requirements to publish in "known" journals is "quite peculiar" because some tenured members of the department have published nothing.
His supporters also say other department professors have no room to criticize about teaching and behavior.
"Lang allows students to act out skits in class rather than assign papers to write," says one student. "And the readings in his class were funny, not challenging." She says that Lang, in one class, "did not want any trouble" and "gave out good grades."
Another anthropology professor is often privately ridiculed by students for being a "hypochondriac" who cancels classes for supposed illnesses. Castaneda, meanwhile, made it to his classroom one day with his head freshly bandaged. He was in a serious auto accident, got patched up and still made it for his lecture, students recalled.
About 30 letters have been generated thus far in the campaign for Castaneda. Maureen Williams, a senior business major and former Castaneda student, organized the drive with three other students. But the real test for the professor appears to be looming at higher levels.
Tenured anthropology faculty voted first on his tenure, with four of them against him, two in favor and one abstaining. Their decision was upheld by the College of Social Sciences.
After those two setbacks for Castaneda, he scored one win when the UH Promotions and Tenure Committee voted to recommend tenure for him. That sets up a showdown for Dr. Edward Sheridan, the new provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. He received favorable publicity from the Houston Chronicle for minority hiring elsewhere, although a decision in favor of Castaneda would quickly end any Sheridan honeymoon with UH faculty members, who want the eccentric professor ousted. Sheridan is not viewed as eager to go against faculty members at this early stage for him at the university.
Any clash would then rise upward, because UH President Arthur Smith has ultimate review authority. And if Castaneda gets canned, there may be a civil lawsuit in the works.
Savvy students are monitoring the fray. "A decision to terminate him could only be based on the same politics that led to the exile of Galileo," said student Joe Osborne. But faculty members show no signs of backing down.
"The real truth is that Castaneda has a bad attitude," said one social sciences professor. "There are a lot of people who want to see him gone. Many find him arrogant and rude. Even the janitors don't like him." That enemies' list would have to include the name of UH senior Springstun. The altercation over grades earned him another kind of "A" -- as in Class A misdemeanor assault charge.
If Castaneda loses his tenure fight, he will have one year to find a position at another university and pursue free academic license.
So the passionate professor and his student are, in their own ways, both awaiting final judgment on their future -- and freedom.
