News of Neck's Departure Creates Stir Among Students, Alumni

By Brian Bartley
May 9, 2009 

He is featured on YouTube for his unconventional, yet widely popular in-class rap session.  He has shared the stage with CEO's, NFL players, and even Bill Clinton's Secretary of Commerce.  He has authored five books and has had over 80 articles published in scholarly journals.

This is the kind of resume you may think any university would hope for in a business professor--unless you're Virginia Tech.

After a two-year battle over a promotion to gain his status of full professor, a battle he lost, Chris Neck will be walking away from Blacksburg to take a job at Arizona State University--essentially the same job Virginia Tech refused to grant him. 

Though Neck may have gotten the promotion he was looking for, leaving Blacksburg was never the resolution he wanted.

"I want [my students] to know I'm not leaving the University because I wanted to," Neck said.  "I'm leaving because I was pushed out.  I was not appreciated and I was pushed out."

That leads to the question many Virginia Tech students have been asking since news of Neck's departure last week--how could the University let one of it's most distinguished professors walk?           

When contacted, Dean of the Pamplin College of business, Richard Sorensen, denied a request to explain the situation, and instead released a statement.

"We were saddened to learn of Professor Neck's decision to accept employment at Arizona State University. He is a gifted teacher and will be greatly missed by his students and colleagues in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech. Any additional information will have to be obtained from Dr. Neck."

According to Neck, those colleagues may not be missing him as much as Sorenson says. 

Neck said that during the voting process for his promotion, there were two individuals on the committee whom he'd had prior conflicts with earlier in his career.  Because of this, Neck filed a grievance.  Unfortunately for him, the only provision that was made was the adding of two more people to the committee, still leaving those whom had a conflict of interest.

"It's supposed to have the appearance at least of being unbiased, and my jury didn't," Neck said.  "And then what does the Provost do?  'I'm going to keep those three people on and just add three new more people.'  Well what happens then?  You've got a rotten bag of apples, you add two more apples--well you still have a rotten bag of apples.  So I was denied full professor."

Neck is emphatic that he's not looking for sympathy.  For him, it's all about making sure the whole story gets out.

"You know, I'm gone regardless," Neck said.  "If the truth is not told, people are going to think I left and that I was the troublemaker.  The truth of the matter is I've been a troublemaker because I want people to know what has gone on."

Though Neck says he's frustrated with how things unfolded within the department, he says his love for his students never changed during and after the promotion battle.

"It's not Pamplin I'm worried about.  I'm more worried about my students now and all my students since I started here in 1994," Neck said.  "They [Pamplin] can spin it however they want to in order to make the process look good, but the bottom line is I really connected to the students here and I will miss them.  That's who I care about."

That's a sentiment many current and former students have reciprocated over the course of this past week. 

At the conclusion of his last class at Virginia Tech, Neck received a five-minute standing ovation from the students. 

In addition, Neck he has been contacted by "hundreds" of students through emails, phone calls, and even text messages.

Christian Van Brunt, a Virginia Tech sophomore, even went so far as to create a Facebook group after he heard news of Neck leaving.

"I created the Facebook group because I thought what had happened to Dr. Neck was ridiculous.  The group was something that I thought people could join and we could show our support and maybe share each other's thoughts about the situation," Van Brunt said.

Van Brunt said his experience in Neck's class was unlike many others he'd ever taken.  According to him, Neck is a professor that "cares about how his teaching affects his students."

Virginia Tech graduate and former member of Neck's class, Corey Maddox, agreed his experience was anything but typical, citing how Neck inspired him outside of just the teaching curriculum.

"He always made me feel good about things when I was in that class," Maddox said. "A lot of great memories came from that class."

In an email, one anonymous student said to Neck, "One of the things that amazed me was how you managed to bring together a full classroom each and ever Friday for 2.5 hours when it's known that class is the last place college kids want to be when the weekend hits--That itself proves the effect you have on all the students."

Van Brunt said he believes Neck's unconventional teaching methods might have been what made him unpopular among other professors and administration within the department.

"Dr. Neck is one of the most innovative teachers I have ever come across, however, he is ridiculed by his department for his innovative teaching methods," Van Brunt said.

In addition to that, Van Brunt said Pamplin needs to change their priorities when dealing with professors, even citing Virginia Tech's commercial slogan.

"'Inventing the Future.'  Is that something they really believe or is it something they just use for publicity?" Van Brunt said.  "They need to be asked whether they want innovation, because there he is--innovation."

Another former student of Neck's and 2003 Virginia Tech graduate, Sterling Daniel, echoed similar disappointment in the University's decision through an email to Neck that was also sent to the Collegiate Times.

As a former SGA president, Daniel made sure his opinion left no room for interpretation.

"It's most unfortunate if any administration officials were incapable of looking past any ill-will toward you to act in a manner that was best for the students," Daniel said.  "Regrettably, it appears that those individuals chose to put other interests ahead of the student body at Virginia Tech.  As an alumnus and former SGA President, that is very disappointing and extremely disconcerting." 

Neck expressed how thankful he was at the large volume student support he'd received in the last week.  Neck also said he would rule out a possible return to Blacksburg one day.

"You know 10 years from now or 5 years from now maybe," Neck said.  "I'm going to stay connected to Tech.  I'm going to be doing these seminars with Coach Beamer for years to come.  I'm under contract with company that puts it together, and they want me to come back."

Even if that return never happens, Neck will have a fresh start at Arizona State to do the same thing he did at Virginia Tech--win the hearts of his students.

In closing his email, Sterling Daniel said to Neck, "I wish you the best as you begin exposing the students of ASU to your unconventional, yet incredibly successful and enjoyable teaching methods.  They are fortunate to have you."

While Arizona State prepares for a new beginning, Virginia Tech students are watching the end of an era.