The philosophy professor who vowed to never teach again at Dickinson College “if it was the last college on earth,” is slated to return to campus to teach in the spring of 2017.

“With the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year.  Professor [Crispin] Sartwell has returned to his position as a tenured associate professor in the Philosophy Department,” college President Neil Weissman affirmed in an email.  “He is on sabbatical this fall and will be back in the classroom in January.”

Philosophy Department Chairman Chauncey Maher says Sartwell’s position is being covered this semester by Visiting Assistant Professor Frank Boardman,

Sartwell was put on leave on March 3.  The college never disclosed its reason for putting Sartwell on leave.  Sartwell claimed that he was “fired” over an allegation that he had threatened a professor at the University of Oklahoma, whom he accused of plagiarizing his work.  Sartwell called the allegation “absurd.”  Weissman denied that claim, telling The Dickinsonian on April 8, “[Sartwell’s] characterization of events, including his claim that the college terminated his employment, is false.”

On March 30, Sartwell received a severance package offered by the school, but he did not accept it.  Subsequently, the college claimed that Sartwell had quit his job and terminated his employment.

Sartwell later wrote on his blog that he would hire a lawyer to contest the college’s claim that he had quit.

“The parties [Dickinson and Dr. Sartwell] have amicably resolved their differences in a manner that resulted in Dr. Sartwell returning to employment,” Weissman says.

Sartwell echoed that comment in an email, “The administration at Dickinson and I have amicably resolved our differences.  As it turns out I am looking forward to teaching in the Spring after a sabbatical this Fall.”