BREAKING: Professor Zdan let go from Rider University

By Samantha Clark

Assistant Sociology professor Richard Zdan is no longer employed at the university, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Kelly Bidle announced in an April 17 email to the professor’s students.

Bidle did not say why Zdan is no longer employed.

Zdan declined comment when he was contacted by The Rider News on April 19.

His departure from the university came after a recording surfaced that raised concern about Zdan’s behavior involving another individual on campus.

Zdan’s classes were abruptly cancelled on April 9, three weeks before finals are scheduled to begin, according to an email from Brooke Hunter, the senior associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. All office hours and scheduled meetings were also cancelled.

Zdan also served as an adviser for sociology and criminal justice students, all of whom were set to be reassigned to a new faculty adviser, but were not included in Bidle’s group email. 

In the April 17 email, Bidle also advised that “all students will receive a grade of P (passing) and 3 academic credits due to this unexpected situation.” 

When contacted by The Rider News for further explanation, Bidle wrote in an April 19 email, “When the administration was made aware of the situation, the University acted swiftly. Given this is a personnel issue, we are unable to further comment.”

Zdan had been an at-large member on the executive committee of Rider’s chapter of the Association of American University Professors. When asked for comment on his future representation from the chapter, Rider’s AAUP President, Professor Maria Villalobos-Buehner, declined to comment. 

This is a developing story that will be updated.