A large group of Danville Area Community College students spoke out against the dismissal of a faculty member at Thursday night’s board of trustees meeting.
Board members approved the non-renewal of probational sustainability instructor George Hickman’s contract during its meeting, as part of a number of human resources items, due to low enrollment in his courses. Hickman has taught botany and history courses at the college, but is also known among students for developing a medical marijuana sustainability course last summer. Students are taught about growing and cultivating the cannabis plant, without bringing any onto the college’s campus.
Trystan DeRousse, a student who organized a Change.org petition seeking to have DACC reverse its decision, says Hickman’s dismissal would do no good for the college.
“What benefit does it do DACC removing a highly skilled, trained and experienced teacher from the position?” he asked. “He’s been at the forefront of many operations, wide-scale and small-scale, dealing with cannabis and hemp plants daily, from seed to harvest to packaging.”
Another student, Jeffrey Graves, says that the sustainability course would not be the same without Hickman’s historical principles being involved.
“The students would like to know what the true purpose of the cannabis cultivation course is, if it’s not actually about social equity,” he said. “The course that was created by George is geared toward repairing the damage and quelling the havoc that prohibition has wreaked on this community, and all communities across America.”
Hickman tells VermilionCountyFirst.com that he first learned of the decision not to retain him on Friday. He says he has been told a number of different reasons for his dismissal, including enrollment numbers, but he says his classes had doubled in size over the last year.
He will remain as an instructor in the college’s Business and Technology division through June 30th.
