by Rosie Sinapi
Editor in Chief
University of La Verne officials dismissed economics professor Jim McCourt after articles appeared in local newspapers indicating he was moonlighting at Pepperdine University.
McCourt’s name first appeared in papers due to an apparent investigation into his involvement with Mercy Crusade Inc., an animal rights organization.
ULV officials said that his non-reappointment to the University was only indirectly caused by his investigation. He taught at the University for three and a half years.
According to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, reports indicated that he stockpiled $100,000 in weapons including German-made assault pistols restricted under federal gun control laws.
“When the articles first appeared in the Los Angeles Times, it stated that he was a faculty member at Pepperdine,” said President Stephen Morgan. “The University of La Verne was not even mentioned, and so we started doing some research to see if he did teach at Pepperdine and how much he taught at Pepperdine.
“We found out that, yes, he was teaching on a regular basis. As a result we terminated him, Jim McCourt’s contract was up at the end of this academic year also.”
McCourt, who was still in his probationary period, violated the University of La Verne’s Professional Ethics and Personnel Politics Including Tenure (PEPPIT) report.
According to Bill Cook, vice president of academic affairs, McCourt’s non-reappointment to the University, like all teachers, is discussed in PEPPIT.
“This gun (issue) has come up against a non-reappointment decision and it has raised questions about people’s lives,” said Dr. Cook.
Morgan explained the operation of PEPPIT.
“We have standards for our faculty, the PEPPIT report. It is a document that has been revised a number of times over 25 years. And it really sets all the policies and procedures for hiring and promoting faculty members. There is a whole process for a faculty member that comes in here,” said Dr. Morgan.
Within the PEPPIT report there is a very clear statement that if a person who is a full-time faculty member at the University of La Verne wants to teach a course or courses at another institution, they must have the department chairperson’s or dean’s permission to do that.
“Jim McCourt’s contract was up at the end of the academic year because he had clearly violated one of the policies outlined in the PEPPIT report,” said Dr. Morgan.
Besides the PEPPIT report, ULV officials are not discussing any other matters relating to McCourt, but Cook readily said, “This is not an unusual set of circumstances.”
Cook also added the fact that McCourt was dismissed a day after the story about his stockpile appeared in the Jan. 31 issue of the Daily Bulletin was coincidental. ULV’s last day of the academic session and the day to dismiss teachers not reappointed fell on Feb. 1.
Classes taught by McCourt are being filled by part-time teachers.
McCourt who was unavailable for comment continues to instruct one course at Pepperdine as an adjunct teacher at the School of Business and Management.
