Grove City College's AAUP censure lifted after 53 years after school apologizes for firing Larry Gara

After a more than a half-century, Grove City College was taken off the top of the American Association of University Professors’ censure list at its 102nd Annual Meeting on Saturday.

“There was great celebration at the annual meeting, great rejoicing, that Grove City had been removed,” said Gregory F. Scholtz, director of the AAUP’s Program in Academic Freedom and Tenure on Monday.

Scholtz “immediately” emailed Dr. Robert Graham, provost of GCC, and Dr. Paul McNulty, president, after the AAUP members voted in favor of having the censure removed, he said.

GCC had the longest-standing censure of 53 years by the century-old organization that seeks to promote professional freedom, shared governance and economic security for professors.

“They both emailed back immediately,” Scholtz said of Graham and McNulty, adding they were also very excited about the AAUP’s decision.

Graham was the first provost to respond to one of the AAUP’s annual letters in 2013 to bring resolution to the censure, with McNulty encouraging dialogue in 2014, involving the firing of former history and political science professor Dr. Larry Gara in 1962, he said. Both heads of the school were just starting their careers at GCC. ...