Rebuffed in February by a California lower court, four former and one current University of California professors and the American Federation of Teachers have vowed to continue their fight against the university’s tenure and promotion peer review process by filing an appeal. The professors’ suit charges that the standard practice of keeping the identity of peer reviewers secret violates each candidate’s right of due process. "This is the first time in the country that this secret system has been challenged," says Robert Bezemek, the plaintiffs’ attorney. If the appeal succeeds, predicts Philip E. Spiekerman, legal counsel for UC., it will encourage challenges to the peer review processes of other universities.
You’ve got to be efficient, safe, and good-looking to be selected Laboratory of the Year, an annual honor bestowed by Research & Development magazine. It also helps to have "common areas" that encourage intellectual interaction, says editor Robert R. Jones. ...
