I have read with interest and concern your “expose” of the merit process used in the NIU Division of Public Administration, especially as applied to professors Monat and Wingfield, the letter from Herb Rubin defending the process and your editorial of Nov. 15 defending your right to publish your opinions.

My concern is not with the debate over whether a department has the right to set different merit standards for different faculty—you apparently believe you uncovered a sneaky act and wanted to expose it—I agree with Herb Rubin that the process is legitimate. In any case, this is an important issue and worthy to be aired in the public as you have done.

My concern is with the implication in your first editorial that Jim Banovetz, the division director, “got” something out of this. If you have some proof or evidence that he is doing this for personal gain, then produce it. If not, I feel you should apologize to him. Up to this point, you have led the university community to believe that he applied this merit system, expecting or getting something in return. I doubt if you have proof of this.

I have known Jim Banovetz for more than seven years and I also teach one accounting course each year to students in the division of public administration. During that time, I have been impressed with his integrity and professionalism. He is a respected leader in his field, nationally. Jim and his wife have contributed unselfishly to NIU and to the DeKalb community in many ways, over many years.

Your first editorial should have stopped short of questioning his motives without justification. The anger expressed by some members of the university community has nothing to do with a free press, which we respect, but has a lot to do with your use of that freedom to carelessly harm the reputation of a fine person. In the future, please be more careful with the use of your first amendment rights.

John Engstrom

Professor

Accounting