ISU asks chair of physics department to resign
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The new chair of the Idaho State University physics department was asked to resign his post after allowing an Ecuadorian professor without proper visa papers to teach in the classroom, a school spokesman said.
Steven Shropshire has been with the university since 1991 and was promoted to department chair in July. The college of arts and sciences dean asked Shropshire to resign his post on Wednesday, university spokesman Graham Garner said.
Shropshire is still employed by the university as a professor, Garner said.
As department chair, Shropshire wanted professor Hector Calderon to teach three upper-division classes this semester.
University officials said they told him to hold off, however, because Calderon didn't have a current H1B visa to work on the Pocatello campus.
Calderon has legally worked for at least one another school, Garner said, but his visa needed to list Idaho State University as his official employer before he could begin teaching there.
Carleton College, a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minn., confirmed Calderon was employed there as a visiting professor of physics from September 2008 to August 2009.
Last week, administrators at the Idaho university's college of arts and sciences reported that Calderon was found teaching classes without proper visa documentation.
Shropshire said college officials told him he could let Calderon informally assist students until his visa paperwork was processed but then they recanted on their decision about two weeks ago, the Idaho State Journal reports.
The university denies that Calderon was allowed in the classroom without proper documentation.
"It doesn't make a difference whether he's teaching or tutoring or volunteering, none of those are allowed without an HB1 visa," Garner said.
Shropshire could not be reached by The Associated Press on Thursday. The university's physics department said he would be out of the office until Monday.
Calderon will be allowed to work at the university once his visa papers are in order, Garner said.
"Once that's done, hopefully we'll be able to bring him in to teach," he said.
The classes Calderon had been teaching this fall had between 20 to 30 students, according to the university. Shropshire was put in charge of covering those courses after administrators pulled Calderon from the classroom last week, Garner said. The university has since arranged for other faculty to teach those classes, he said.
Steven Shropshire has been with the university since 1991 and was promoted to department chair in July. The college of arts and sciences dean asked Shropshire to resign his post on Wednesday, university spokesman Graham Garner said.
Shropshire is still employed by the university as a professor, Garner said.
As department chair, Shropshire wanted professor Hector Calderon to teach three upper-division classes this semester.
University officials said they told him to hold off, however, because Calderon didn't have a current H1B visa to work on the Pocatello campus.
Calderon has legally worked for at least one another school, Garner said, but his visa needed to list Idaho State University as his official employer before he could begin teaching there.
Carleton College, a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minn., confirmed Calderon was employed there as a visiting professor of physics from September 2008 to August 2009.
Last week, administrators at the Idaho university's college of arts and sciences reported that Calderon was found teaching classes without proper visa documentation.
Shropshire said college officials told him he could let Calderon informally assist students until his visa paperwork was processed but then they recanted on their decision about two weeks ago, the Idaho State Journal reports.
The university denies that Calderon was allowed in the classroom without proper documentation.
"It doesn't make a difference whether he's teaching or tutoring or volunteering, none of those are allowed without an HB1 visa," Garner said.
Shropshire could not be reached by The Associated Press on Thursday. The university's physics department said he would be out of the office until Monday.
Calderon will be allowed to work at the university once his visa papers are in order, Garner said.
"Once that's done, hopefully we'll be able to bring him in to teach," he said.
The classes Calderon had been teaching this fall had between 20 to 30 students, according to the university. Shropshire was put in charge of covering those courses after administrators pulled Calderon from the classroom last week, Garner said. The university has since arranged for other faculty to teach those classes, he said.
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