University of Alberta Welcomes Derek Walcott

Mr. Walcott’s withdrawal as a candidate to be Oxford University’s professor of poetry will not affect his appointment at the University of Alberta in Canada.

Compiled by DAVE ITZKOFF writing in The New York Times,, Published: June 3, 2009

The University of Alberta in Canada said Derek Walcott’s withdrawal as a candidate to be Oxford University’s professor of poetry would have no effect on his appointment as a distinguished scholar in residence at this Canadian university, The Globe and Mail reported.

Last month Mr. Walcott, pic right, a Nobel laureate, withdrew from an election for the Oxford position after faculty members and alumni were anonymously sent photocopied pages from a book that recounted a sexual-harassment claim made by a Harvard student against Mr. Walcott, who taught at Harvard in the 1980s.

Information about another accusation, from a Boston University student, was also included. (The poet Ruth Padel, who won the election, quickly resigned after it was learned that she had sent e-mail messages to two reporters alerting them to the allegations.) Carl G. Amrhein, the provost of the University of Alberta, told The Globe and Mail that Mr. Walcott had been put through a “typical” appointments process. He added, “We did our background checks, and we were very impressed.” Mr. Walcott is to teach a master class in poetry there starting in the fall.