University Is Considering Marxist's Tenure Appeal

The University of Maryland is reconsidering its decision not to grant tenure to an avowed Marxist, who is an assistant political science professor, following a campaign of support by colleagues and students who were concerned about the possible political nature of the decision.

The controvery started last spring when the vice chancellor of the Baltimore Country campus. Walter Jones, denied tenure to Phillip J. Brenner, Saying that his scholarship warranted further review. Brenner then appealed the decision to the president of the university system, John Toll.

After 1000 students out of a total of 5500 signed a petition calling for Brenner's promotions and many complimentary letters of recommendation were written. Toll last month sent the matter back to Jones, who will probably make a final decision this week.

Jones said yesterday the original decision not to promote Brenner was made entirely on his scholarly work, adding that Brenner's politics were unrelated to the final outcome.

But Brenner said Thursday that he had received very high recommendations from all the committees in the tenure process, and said Brenner's Marxism lacked sophistication. Brenner added that Jones's other reasons were Brenner's commonplace radicalism and repetitious work.

One of the supporters of Brenner is Theda R. Skocpol, a former associate professor of Sociology at Harvard who was denied tenure last year and is an editor along with Brenner of Politics and Society, a scholarly left-wing journal.

She and about 30 other academicians wrote letters after the appeal to the University of Mary land backing Brenner, and Skocpol said yesterday she is very impressed with Brenner's work.

She added that the university should receive credit for reconsidering the case.

Molly Nolan, former associate professor of History at Harvard and now at New York University (NYU), said Brenne is one of the top congressional scholars in the country. "I am impressed with the breadth and depth of his mind," she added, and charged that "he was evaluated in a political and ideological context at the University of Maryland."

However, Robert G. Smith, vice president of university development, said yesterday. "So far as I know, no politics were involved in the Brenner case."

Another controversial decision by the university took place in July 1978, when a recognized Marxist, Bernell Oilman, then-an associate professor at NYU, was refused the chairmanship of the government department at the College Park campus.

Oilman charged that the decision was made because he was a Marxist, He will soon be appealing the outcome of a suit he lost this past summer against Toll.

Oilman said that in his cause there had been pressure from the state legislature and then-acting governor to prevent his appointment.

"The university caved in to the pressure."