THE WEST AUSTRALIAN
28 APRIL 1993

WORLDWIDE SUPPORT FOR UWA OUTCAST

A University of WA recommendation to deny a permanent post
to a  leading scholar has sent shock waves through the
international  academic community.

Vice-chancellor Fay Gale has yet to make a final decision
on a review  committee recommendation to deny tenure to
archaeologist David Rindos.

Tenure, or permanancy, is usually granted to academics after
three years  of teaching but can be denied in case of poor
performance in teaching  and research.

Professor Gale received almost 30 letters from academics in
Australia,  the US, and Britain surprised at the treatment
of Dr Rindos.

The West Australian received copies of letters in which he
is  described as a brilliant, ground-breaking scholar of
the highest  international reputation.

Professor Frank Hole, of Yale University in the US,
described Dr  Rindos as a rare scholar whose energy and
brilliance should be  nurtured.

University of Washington Professor Robert Dunnell wrote
that  archaeologists everywhere would be shocked if tenure
were denied.  "Their view of your institution would
suffer," he wrote.

Dr Rindos joined UWA in 1989 and was embroiled in a bizarre
dispute  about the way the university department of
archaeology was run after  he reported, as its acting head,
alleged irregularities in 1990.

When department head Sandra Bowdler returned, Dr Rindos was
moved to  the department of geography.

Last year after two internal reviews, UWA disbanded the
department of  archaeology and the fee-earning centre for
pre-history. The  archaeology course was moved to the
department of anthropology, while  Dr Rindos was left
without a department.

In March, associate professor of anatomy and human biology
Neville  Bruce, who conducted the initial department of
archaeology review,  issued an open letter to the
vice-chancellor and UWA heads of  department saying Dr
Rindos was treated unfairly. 

Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Rober Wood, who chaired the
tenure  review committee, said yesterday the
vice-chancellor would make a  final decision on tenure.

A spokesman for the registrar's office said it was very
unusual for  tenure to be denied.