A professor at a university in Chiayi County founded by the Buddhist Fo Guang Shan Monastery yesterday threatened to sue the school for not renewing her contract over “humiliating accusations” related to her academic performance.
Ho De-fen (賀德芬), who had taught at Nanhua University in Chiayi County for four years until last month, said she was planning to take legal action against the university for failing to extend her contract for reasons she described as “unfounded” and “unacceptable.”
The decision not to rehire Ho was made at a June 25 meeting of the Nanhua University Education Committee that was called to discuss Ho’s case.
Thirteen members of the 18-person committee decided against renewing the contract, arguing that Ho had “not worked hard at her job, violated her contract and did not spend enough time at the Department of International Studies.”
Ho denied the committee’s allegations, asserting that she was strict with her students, had never been late for class or left early and had not moonlighted since joining the Nanhua faculty. She said the committee had made the decision in response to her outspokenness.
Ho said she had openly opposed school policies at meetings and on her blog and had visited the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Kaohsiung County to express her dissatisfaction with the university.
The school said that Ho had not published or presented any papers relating to her field of research at Nanhua, nor had she applied to the National Science Council for research funding in four years.
Although she had been hired as a “full time” professor, the school charged, Ho had only performed “part time” work.
In addition, the school said, Ho had not been present at the campus for “eight half days per week” to teach or do research as stipulated in her contract and had therefore violated her terms of employment.
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