Abrupt departure of psychology professor causes controversy at USD

Professor maintains he did not willingly leave USD, administration says he resigned from his position

Karisa Kampbell / Asst.News Editor / The USD Vista

Students of Stephen Pearlberg, a professor of 13 years in USD’s psychology department, received surprising news from their professor on Sunday, March 7. 

Pearlberg sent an email to all of his students detailing that his time at the University of San Diego had ended. The University of San Diego said he voluntarily resigned from his position, but Pearlberg claimed otherwise. 

“I was fired on Friday. I kept pushing for some sort of live instruction, or at least for students to come on campus, and we’re still miles apart,” Pearlberg wrote. “I said some things and they didn’t like ‘em. I am terribly sorry for the effect that this will have on you. That apology is all I can offer.”

The University of San Diego disputes that Pearlberg was fired. Michael Ichiyama, Ph.D., department chair of the psychological sciences, sent the following email to Pearlberg’s students on Tuesday, March 9. 

“It is with regrets that he (Stephen Pearlberg) has tendered his resignation and I am cognizant of the uncertainty and disruption this has caused for you,” Ichiyama wrote. “Be very aware that Professor Pearlberg’s contract with the university was not revoked or rescinded. If any of you are under the assumption that his contract was terminated, that is simply not the case.”

Amidst the uncertainty and confusion staff and students alike were facing, Professor Pearlberg sent out another email to his students with additional information regarding him no longer being their professor on Tuesday, March 9.

“Throughout the school year I have been fighting for students’ right to have in-person classes held on campus, and that turned into a long-standing battle with Dean Norton to do something for the students and ‘find a middle’ in this pandemic,” Pearlberg wrote. “Last week, for the fifth time, and for no good reason, I was denied the right to teach 6 to 8 students outdoors in a completely safe and distanced atmosphere.”

Pearlberg said he repeatedly requested to teach classes in a hybrid model in a classroom on campus, offered to hold lectures and office hours socially-distanced outdoors, and lobbied for an in-person graduation ceremony on the football field. Each request was met with a rejection, according to him.

Pearlberg continued, “I went too far, perhaps, by emoting the fact that the school is collecting full tuition along with room and board — but that is exactly why I am morally bound to give my students the best education I can give them. You deserve no less. I tried, and ultimately I failed. For that I am deeply sorry.”

As more students heard about the situation and Pearlberg’s departure became a topic of discussion among the USD community, Ichiyama sent another email to psychology majors on March 12.

“It has been brought to my attention that a rumor has been floating amongst students that Professor Pearlberg was fired by USD,” he wrote. “Be aware that his contract with USD was not revoked or rescinded … Professor Pearlberg’s resignation was completely voluntary.”

However, Pearlberg maintains that he did not willingly leave the university. In an email to The USD Vista on March 12, the same date Ichiyama claimed Pearlberg resigned voluntarily, he offered his perspective.

“Whether I resigned or was terminated by the university may be a technical question for somebody at the Law School. All I can do is tell you that my contract was not renewed for the upcoming year and how I found myself frustrated and disappointed with the way the university is behaving,” he wrote.

According to Pearlberg, he noticed that his name had been removed from the official Fall 2021 schedule, and that one class he normally teaches was gone and two others had been changed to different time slots. 

Noelle Norton, Ph.D., dean of USD’s College of Arts and Sciences, says she responded to Pearlberg’s concerns about his Fall 2021 schedule. She says she met with Ichiyama and confirmed that it is common to list “staff” for sections taught by non-tenure track faculty on upcoming schedules and that this is general practice for faculty without multiple year contracts. Pearlberg describes his employment status as a non-tenured, benefits-based adjunct (BBA) professor. 

“The College, Psychological Sciences, Dr. Ichiyama, and your students understood that your contract for the year extends through to May 31st. Nothing has changed with your contract at all. You have not been ‘fired,’” Norton wrote to Pearlberg on March 8. 

Through his interactions with Ichiyama and the psychology department, Pearlberg came under the impression that “the department wanted me to be a part of USD until late May, but that on June 1st, they did not want me here anymore.” Norton said contracts for the following school year are offered in June and July, and never earlier.

Following this impression, Pearlberg said he “drafted a letter to (Ichiyama) explaining that this was unfair, wrong, and that my consistent attempts to bring some sort of live instruction to our students should not cause the university to want me gone. I submitted it to him the same day,” according to Pearlberg.

Pearlberg claims that “Dean Norton immediately accepted this letter as my resignation. I inquired whether I could still work with my researchers and Honors students throughout their theses and I was denied.” 

Norton explained how several of Pearlberg’s communications led to the university’s conclusion that he was resigning from his position immediately. 

“Professor Pearlberg told me he would not be back to teach his classes and that he was clearing his desk in an email to me,” Norton told The USD Vista in an email. “Professor Pearlberg told Dr. Ichiyama that he would not be back to teach his classes in a letter to him. We were left with four sections of Psychological Sciences to fill with less than five days notice given Professor Pearlberg’s decision to stop teaching. Dr. Ichiyama asked him to meet or call him several times and he would not agree to a meeting or call. These actions indicate Professor Pearlberg had resigned. He said he was not coming back even though he is under contract until May 31st.”

First-year student Michelle Brown is enrolled in Pearlberg’s Research Methods in Psychology course and shared her condolences on Pearlberg leaving.

“Pearlberg was a teacher that advocated on behalf of students, trying to get us the best education. It’s incredibly difficult to stay motivated and interested in classes, especially since a lot of freshmen haven’t even had the opportunity to create their community at USD,” Brown said. “Pearlberg’s 8 a.m. class online was the only class that actually gave me the motivation to learn and work hard for the grade. I know a lot of other people feel the same way, so it’s really upsetting to see him leave in the midst of everything else going on.”

Ultimately, Pearlberg said his goal in the midst of everything was to grant students the best education that he could, and he felt that the best way to do that was by fighting to hold classes outside and in person. 

“Things became exceedingly difficult as it became clear that the university had no intention to open up,” Pearlberg said. “My goal is to give us a chance to have a relatively normal fall semester going forward. The only way to open up is to do it gradually in tiny ways and I feel that I did everything in my power to make that happen for the entire school year and I received absolutely no support from the University.”

Ultimately, however, it appears that the decision to begin to further open up USD for hybrid learning is beyond the university’s control at this point in time. 

“Dr. Pearlberg has been very upset that he hasn’t been able to teach in-person this year,” Norton wrote. “All of us in the dean’s office understand his frustration and have told him so many times. It is not within our power, however, to change university wide decisions. Our job is to implement the decisions made by USD’s Covid Action Team, the County Department of Public Health, and the State of California.” 

San Diego moved into California’s less-restrictive red tier on Wednesday, March 17.

“I hope to God that I was dead wrong about the University,” Pearlberg wrote to The USD Vista on March 13. “My claim is that they never intended to have any live instruction this year unless they were absolutely forced to. I have cited what I believe to be overwhelming evidence for this, but I hope that all my claims turn out to be invalid. I hope they prove me wrong by changing the shape of the campus very  quickly, on Wednesday, when our county achieves the red tier.  If and when they do that, I will be the first to apologize, Set the record straight, and give the University the credit they deserve.”

Pearlberg is no longer listed as teaching any classes for the Spring 2021 semester on Banner, USD’s registration system.