Assistant professor Tom Owens will end his three-year teaching career in the SOU criminology and criminal justice department, despite strong protests from several students and colleagues.

Owens received notice at the end of fall term last year that his contract would not be renewed past June of 2008.

"That was a pretty emotional day," Owens said. "This school has been my family for the last three years. I was heartbroken."

Neither the human resources office nor the provost could comment on Owens’ non-renewal because of university policy regarding faculty confidentiality.

"All personnel matters are private, and the university does not comment on them," said Associate Provost Paul Steinle.

Last term, Owens said he received a 6.8 point score in one class, and a 6.6 in another out of the possible seven points on the all-campus class questionnaire that asks, "Based on your experience, how do you rate this instructor’s teaching effectiveness?"

"I try to bring the textbook alive," Owens said. "It’s different. It’s not standard, but I’m a firm believer in taking students out of the classroom."

When students found out about Owens’s non-renewal, they organized Tom Owens Appreciation Day on Feb. 28 to honor Owens and the contributions he has made to the university.

"That was pretty amazing," Owens said. "It was a pretty humbling experience."

Owens was mainly responsible for the criminology department’s Counter Terrorism/Crime Scene Investigation event that took place in 2006 and 2007.

"It’s been a pretty good marketing draw," Owens said.

Owens has also taken the initiative to invite a handful of select students to the Economic Crime Institute conference in New York in October of 2006 and 2007. SOU was the only school outside of ECI that was allowed to attend the conference – in which FBI agents and other federal agents spoke – due to Owens’ personal connections. The students were also able to tour the West Wing of the White House, take a tour through the Secret Service building, visit the U.S. Naval Academy and the DEA office.

"These are the types of things we’re doing here," Owens said. "People ask me, 'You’re doing what with these students? That’s pretty cool.'"

The university will hire two people to replace Owens. "I’d like to stay," said Owens. "But the bottom line is a non-renewal is a non-renewal."