The removal of a new economics professor last week sparked rumors among students that the professor had been deported.
Romain Rancier taught International Finance this semester for only two and a half weeks before his students were notified that he would not teach the class for the rest of the semester.
Rancier accepted the teaching position while working at the International Monetary Fund, according to Arik Levinson, the director of undergraduate studies for the Economics department.
“He works for the IMF with a visa that gives him permission to work for an international organization, but not at Georgetown,” Levinson said.
The University sought to obtain a work visa for Rancier, but administrators who handle legal issues for the University decided to let him go.
“We did not get the appropriate paperwork done to let him work here until it was too late,” Levinson said.
Administrators took steps to explain the situation to Rancier’s students, but apparently not in time to prevent confusion.
Arun Koottappillil (SFS ‘08), who was in the class, created a Facebook group entitled “My Econ Professor Got Deported” after receiving an e-mail from Rancier regarding his termination, which he posted on the group.
The rumor quickly spread, as many students heard from friends about the deported professor.
Koottappillil said that Rob Martin, who took over Ranciere’s class, explained the situation more thoroughly to the students.
In addition, Kootappillil said, the class was told that professors such as Rancier had been hired in the past without the proper visa, sometimes teaching an entire semester.
When asked if this had occurred before in the Economics department, Levinson responded, “Not that I know of, certainly not on my watch.” Levinson has held his position for three years, he said.
Although Eric Lightfoot (SFS ‘08) has only had one lecture class with Martin thus far, he willingly expressed his confidence in his new professor.
“I’ve only heard good things from people who are in his other section. He’s very clear, which is all you need in an Econ class,” Lightfoot said.
In a good-bye e-mail to his students, Professor Rancier expressed his pleasure in the brief period he taught at Georgetown.
“It has been a pleasure and an honor to teach you this set of lectures and I wish you good luck in your future educational and professional endeavors,” Rancier said.
Students on the Facebook group discussed their former professor’s class and his thick French accent.
“Students in the SFS are astonishingly unwilling to listen to foreign accents,” remarked Levinson. “And you can quote me on that.”
