Appeal denied, Isenberg goes to Temple U.

Andrew Isenberg, a popular professor of history who was denied tenure by the University last year, has received a job offer — with tenure — from Temple University in Philadelphia, he confirmed on Monday.

Isenberg, who received the President's Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2001, said he has accepted Temple's offer and will begin his work there in the fall.

"That's the [offer] I'm taking," he said in an interview, "I think Temple's a great job. I'll be happy at Temple."

Isenberg's appeal to his denial of tenure, which was heavily publicized and gained much support among the student body, was rejected in December.

"They turned down the appeal on procedural grounds, saying that procedure had not been violated," Isenberg said, adding that he leaves the University with mixed feelings.

"There are a lot of people here who I like — certainly I have a very positive impression of the students, but . . . there's obviously some bitterness too. I think things went wrong," he said.

Though University officials have never spoken directly about Isenberg's case, it is widely believed he was denied tenure owing to a lack of published research.

President Tilghman publicly announced in December that scholarly research should be the "first and foremost" priority of junior faculty seeking tenure at Princeton.

"Their ability to conduct research and demonstrate excellence in scholarship is the most important thing we will look at," Tilghman said. "Having their scholarship in excellent condition at the time of tenure has to be [junior faculty's] top priority." She added, however, that service and teaching ability are also "considered very seriously."

At the time, Tilghman's comments struck a chord with Isenberg, he said.

"I feel that I am being characterized as someone who is just a good teacher and whose scholarship is not up to par," he told the 'Prince' in December, adding in his own defense that "my research is better than that required by the history department standards for tenure."

During the first round of the tenure process, in which a candidate's department must support him, the history department backed Isenberg's candidacy.

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Candidates who are approved by their department then move onto the Committee of Three, which consists of six faculty members, the senior deans and the provost. That committee makes a recommendation to the president, who makes the final decision.

Dean of the Faculty David Dobkin said that he was not in a position to comment on Isenberg's case. Other University officials could not be reached.