To Friends and Alumni of Cedarville University

In light of recent events and the mention of The Coalition of the Concerned in several mass e-mails, we wish to remind our readers that we speak for ourselves. We have not and do not now endorse or distance ourselves from any web site, but trust that thinking people will read all the available information and evidence in order to decide for themselves. In light of our purpose to communicate relevant information and encourage critical thinking we raise the following questions.

You may have heard that the issues presented in the original letter from The Coalition of the Concerned (click here) have been answered. Since we have never received a substantive reply to the concerns presented in this letter, we may have missed something. Where can we find a substantive response to specific issues identified in our letter?

The Grievance Information Panel (GIP) document (click here) completed by a faculty panel selected by the faculty and the administration was a report of a three month investigation into the termination of Dr David Hoffeditz. This report identified concerns related to the University governance and faculty tenure as presented in the Faculty Handbook. Why were the conclusions of this faculty panel document disregarded by the administration and Board of Trustees? Where is the evidence that the issues raised in this document are incorrect, or the conclusions arrived at by a prejudicial panel?

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) report and the shorter highlights of that report (click here) was a six month long investigation into the issues of faculty governance and tenure at Cedarville University. The AAUP report was based on interviews with administrative and trustee representatives, and faculty, with considerations from other pertinent documents including the Cedarville University Faculty Handbook. Reading these reports will give an understanding of the history of the issues at Cedarville. It should be noted that members of the AAUP review committee included faculty from highly regarded Christian institutions. Where is the evidence of false or incorrect information in the substantial issues raised in this document?

Since the assertion has been made that the issues raised in the various documents have been sufficiently addressed in the past, it is only right to conclude that the evidence for the inaccuracy or lack of validity of these issues would be readily available.

Please read and critically consider the issues identified in the documents mentioned above.

Our prayer is that these issues can be honestly and publicly faced so all parties can be heard and resolutions can be finalized once and for all. We are thankful for all who are working and praying toward this end.

The Coalition of the Concerned

By a unanimous decision of the members of the Coalition of the Concerned