Read the Bizarre Email That May Have Prompted a Provost to Step Down Mysteriously

San Diego State U.

It’s not unusual for a provost to express displeasure with a faculty critic. Still, a former San Diego State University professor says he was taken aback when he was warned that he might be “showered with unending curse” and “visited by evil a million fold” for his suspected disloyalty to his boss.

The warning was contained in an email sent on September 11 by Chukuka S. Enwemeka, who last week suddenly resigned as provost. It’s unclear whether the unusual email, excerpts of which appeared in The San Diego Union-Tribune, had anything to do with his departure. He will remain a faculty member in the College of Health and Human Services, according to a statement by the university’s interim president, Sally Roush.

The recipient of the email was Douglas Deutschman, who was then a professor of biology at San Diego State. Deutschman had read aloud a statement, at a faculty meeting, that called for an early administrative review of the provost.

Enwemeka, who didn’t return requests for comment, fired off an email to Deutschman telling him he was “stunned” by the professor’s decision to ask for the early review. The email’s subject line was “Et tu Brute!”

The provost reminded Deutschman that he had supported him, had given him good recommendations, and had “creatively found a way” to get him promoted to associate dean of the College of Sciences.

“All said, if in the course of our time and interactions, I willfully sought to harm or perpetrate evil against you, may my Lord Jesus Christ, to whom I have given my entire life, see your action as well deserved by me,” the provost wrote.

The email went on to say that, “on the other hand, if all I have ever done was to promote your well-being and progress as previously detailed, and in return you willfully sought to harm or hurt me, may my Lord Jesus Christ ensure that you reap what you sowed. So that instead of blessings, you are showered with unending curse and harmed, hurt, and visited by evil a million fold in everything you do throughout the rest of your life.”

The email added: “Please note that in stating the foregoing, I am not necessarily cursing or wishing you evil. I am simply invoking the natural Law of Karma; the Law of Retributive Justice.”

‘I Was Surprised by the Email’

Deutschman left San Diego State in October to become dean of the faculty of graduate and postdoctoral studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, in Canada.

He said on Tuesday that he did not release the email to the news media, but did share it with the university’s senior leadership.

“I was surprised by the email,” Deutschman said. “It was unlike any email I’ve received in more than 20 years as an academic.”

Before arriving at San Diego State, in 2014, Enwemeka was dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. Enwemeka, an expert in rehabilitation medicine and physical therapy, also served as dean of the School of Health Professions at the New York Institute of Technology.

Roush, the university’s interim president, said in a written statement that Enwemeka would return to the College of Health and Human Services, “where he will continue to pursue his commitment to research, teaching, and other scholarly interests.” University officials declined to comment further, saying they could not speak on specific personnel matters. An interim provost will be named by June 8.

The president’s announcement came two months after the university completed an early administrative review of Enwemeka, according to an article in the student newspaper, The Daily Aztec. It was unclear whether Enwemeka’s departure was related to the evaluation, which had been requested by faculty members who were unhappy with the firing of a popular associate vice president for faculty advancement. The provost’s critics had also criticized him for what some considered his abrasive management style.

The administrative review, a copy of which was shared with The Chronicle, commended Enwemeka for his leadership and for overseeing a rise in the university’s rankings but suggested some areas for improvement, including “enhanced communication to the campus community.”

Katherine Mangan writes about community colleges, completion efforts, and job training, as well as other topics in daily news. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineMangan, or email her at katherine.mangan@chronicle.com.