The Varsity News

Issue date: 10/7/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Alice Arutoff Professor Donald Jarnevic has taught philosophy at UDM since 1960.

Students and peers of Prof. Donald Jarnevic are hoping the respected philosophy professor will be returning to campus soon, after collapsing in his classroom last week.

Jarnevic was taken from Briggs Building by ambulance and underwent emergency surgery for a hematoma on the brain Sept. 28. He is currently recovering in a local hospital.

For almost half a century, the university has been host to the friendly professor, who has built a legacy of published works and enlightened pupils. He has taught a variety of philosophy courses at UDM, including aesthetics, logic and metaphysics.

Jarnevic holds degrees from the University of Detroit, University of Notre Dame, University of Windsor and University of Pittsburgh. He joined the University of Detroit faculty in 1960 and has been an integral part of the philosophy department ever since.

David Koukal, an associate professor of philosophy, described Jarnevic as multifaceted.

"Don's role is important, as he teaches a good number of the upper division courses for the major: ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, contemporary philosophy, metaphysics and sometimes epistemology," he said. "His breadth of reading is wide and deep, and he can teach almost any class among our philosophy listings. He is also a very religious man, and has been an invaluable counselor to students with serious spiritual commitments."

In recent weeks, Jarnevic had experienced some health challenges - a worsening limp, for example - that were highly noticeable to colleagues and students. The problems culminated during one of his classes last week, when students noticed Jarnevic was very weak looking.

As was his custom, Jarnevic began to tell students what they'd be covering that day. But within minutes he dismissed the class. Students remained, however, asking Jarnevic if he was alright.

Sophomore Bethany Polk was in the logic class at the time of the incident.

"He got really pale and then he just kind of put his head into his hands," Polk said. "One of the guys in the class gave him his chair and a couple other students went up and helped him sit down and got him some water. From what I saw it looked like he couldn't hold himself up and the students were basically holding him so he wouldn't fall out of his chair."

Public Safety and other staff members were called, and Jarnevic was taken for treatment by ambulance. The class was dismissed, confused and worried, unsure of the severity of Jarnevic's condition.

"Being in there when it happened was scary to me, mostly just because we didn't know what was happening to him and how serious it was," said Polk.

Jarnevic has a solid reputation with his peers, according to Koukal.

"Don and I have disagreed about many things over the years, but he taught me how to disagree without being disagreeable," said Koukal. "He is nothing less than a perfect gentleman, and I value him very highly as a colleague and a friend."

Jarnevic's peers in the Philosophy Department hope that he can return for the winter term.

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