What's Going On at Soka University?

By Lisa Jones, February 28, 2003
From the old BuddhaJones.com site

The World Tribune covers Soka U. so intimately that they report on the student elections. But they probably won't mention SUA's current "growing pains."

Over the past few weeks, charges of religious discrimination have been getting louder at Soka University of America's campus in Aliso Viejo, Calif. Critics allege that faculty who are members of Soka Gakkai International are given preferential treatment while non-SGI faculty are being pushed out.

A former faculty member has filed a lawsuit against SUA alleging fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other things. (Please see The Southwell Complaint PDF -- it may take a minute to download and you will need the acrobat reader to access it.)

According to a February 28 article in the Orange County Register, "more than a dozen students have left, expressing concerns about the tense atmosphere, the academic program and the administration's decision to trim the budget by hiring about a dozen part-time professors instead of full-time faculty for next school year." In addition, "four key employees...have resigned in recent months."

When a popular teacher -- Joe McGinniss, best-selling author and non-SGIer -- was told in early February that his teaching contract would not be renewed for a second year, about twenty SUA students staged a sit-in to protest the decision. SUA administrators claim that a "budgetary issue" necessitated the cutback.

A recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education quotes McGinniss: "There’s no question that if I were a member of their cult, they would have me here as long as I wanted to stay." In the same article, Arch Asawa, SUA’s VP for administrative affairs, responds: "Any charges of religious bias are absolutely false."

Sounds like a typical he-said/he-said dispute…but then there are the numbers. McGinniss points out that, according to tax filings for 2001, SUA had invested capital of more than $400 million, and total assets of more than $750 million.

In a recent e-mail to SUA staff, McGinniss wrote: "The fact is, the school opened last year with a $300 million endowment. That's $1.5 million per student, the highest in the United States, perhaps the world. Yet full-time faculty cannot be hired because of a budget crisis in only the second year of operation?"

So what’s the "issue" that prevents SUA from renewing McGinniss' $77,500-plus-perks annual contract?

McGinniss has told administrators that he believes he is being sent away because he questions "the degree of the university's independence from the religious sect, Soka Gakkai."

Based on financial disclosures, McGinniss calculates that the median annual salary for SGI faculty is $72K. For non-SGI faculty, the median salary drops to $55K. This, along with several internal SUA communications, suggests to McGinniss a bias against non-SGIers.

The informal SGI spin machine is floating the position that McGinniss is a troublemaker, someone who thrives on airing dirty laundry for the sake of publicity.

A Google search on McGinniss reveals that he has a history of making waves. Presumably, McGinniss was vetted more thoroughly than a mere Googling prior to his hire. It would be disingenuous, I think, for anyone at SUA to claim they didn't know they were hiring a strong and potentially controversial personality.

Did SUA hire marquee faculty like McGinniss because of a real commitment to learning and inquiry, or just to impress accreditors and lure students? If fostering a rich academic environment is important to SUA, why isn't the retention of full-time non-SGI faculty a top priority? Do the SUA "powers that be" want to build a school for everyone, or just for SGI members?

And who are the SUA powers that be? Not surprisingly, many of the trustees are top SGI leaders, such as Danny Nagashima, Tariq Hasan and Matilda Buck.

One notable non-SGIer is Fred Balitzer, who, until the flap over McGinniss, was SUA's dean of faculty. Because of inadvertently sending an "intemperate" e-mail to McGinniss, Balitzer was removed from his deanship. He remains, however, a trustee of SUA.

In the "intemperate" e-mail, Balitzer wrote: "All of our enemies are now gathering under Joe's umbrella. We knew that there would be another explosion and now it has come. Let us stand strong and united. Joe is even going into the finances of my son's company along with the finances of SUA, obtaining our tax records. This fellow knows no limitations, and brings the tactics of the street bully onto campus. Let us remain strong and united. Fred B."

Am I the only one who senses a circle-the-wagons paranoia reminiscent of Tariq Hasan’s speech? What Balitzer describes as the "tactics of the street bully" sound to me more like the typical practices of a journalist.

But I gotta hand it to him: even though he's a non-SGIer, Balitzer out-tariqs Tariq.

Also, according to McGinniss, SUA is a client of Balitzer's lobbying firm, Pacific Research & Strategies, Inc. of Long Beach. Documents filed by SUA show "Lobbying Expenditures" totaling $2,880,772 paid by SUA over four years.

That's what we SGI Buddhists might call actual proof of something.

But what does it matter? Why should SGI members care about what goes on at SUA?

SGI members put up nearly half a billion dollars to build the 103-acre campus and expand SUA's presence in the US, for one thing.

I personally kicked in a grand for the scholarship fund. That sounds puny compared to the millions that SUA has in the bank, but for me that was a lot of money. I thought I was supporting an open academic environment infused with Buddhist values. Back when SUA was just a patch of dirt with ocean breezes and a nice view, I promoted "the dream" of SUA to my fellow SGI members. I attended SUA's dedication ceremony and waxed sentimental about it on this very website.

Was I suckered?

I don't wanna believe it. Maybe the World Tribune will run an article that explains everything in detail and allays all concerns. Maybe they'll even publish an accounting of SGI-USA's finances as a gesture of openness and goodwill.

I hope the cherry trees on campus blossom soon. Right now, it seems that the only thing growing in Soka Land is stinkweed.

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Note added 5/1/04:

After this article was posted, Soka settled with the Southwells out of court. Linda Southwell was reinstated to her faculty position, which she then resigned. Soka reportedly paid the Southwells approximately $4.5 million.