Students claim SU retaliation

• By JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jul 17, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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With their families in attendance, Southern University graduate students Symphony Guyton and Erica McCain walked across the stage May 9 to receive empty diploma covers.

The reason they went home without their master’s degrees and the wait continues into mid-July?

They claim retaliation — that the political science department chairman was out to get them and the university administration has done little to help.

But the students are not just whining voices in the wilderness. They have the full support of their thesis professors who awarded them “A” grades.

On the other hand, Southern administrators call the matter part of the thesis process.

Albert Samuels, an associate professor of political science, called it “unprecedented” that political science department Chairman Kingsley Esedo waited until the students’ master’s thesis papers were due in April to get involved and prevent them from graduating on time.

“The only thing I can conclude is it must be something personal, because it’s not about the substance,” said Samuels, who was on both students’ faculty thesis committees. “It looks suspicious — like you’re singling people out.”

Department chairs typically sign off on faculty committee recommendations for thesis papers without delay, he said.

Since then, Graduate School Dean James Llorens has issued a memo noting that thesis committee chairs are primarily in charge of grades.

Also, the Southern Graduate Council is pushing for changes so department chairs no longer sign off on thesis papers.

Esedo declined comment. He stated a willingness to discuss the matter this week, but did not return a phone message Monday. Instead, a departmental assistant, Romona Bynum, said Esedo could not comment “as the matter is currently under investigation.”

Guyton, a Houston native, said the ordeal began when she needed a final international law class to graduate that was not being offered.

She and McCain, of Shreveport, went to Esedo and asked for an independent study course so they could finish school. Guyton said Esedo refused and told them they would have to go over his head.