Faculty at DePaul University are considering taking votes of no confidence in the school president and other officials in the wake of tenure denials issued to two faculty members.

Separate faculty councils are meeting today and Thursday to discuss the rejections of assistant professors Norman Finkelstein and Mehrene Larudee despite strong support from their academic departments and a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences committee.

The tenure bid of Finkelstein, son of Holocaust survivors, had drawn widespread attention because of his suggestions that some Jews had exploited their suffering. Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz criticized Finkelstein’s scholarship.

Larudee, who was to take over as chair of international studies, helped organize support for Finkelstein and now wonders if that hurt her.

Some DePaul faculty said they were upset the university did not support recommendations from faculty who work most closely with the two professors.

Gil Gott, chair of the college’s Faculty Governance Council, said it was particularly surprising that Larudee was turned down because she had the unanimous support of her department, the college personnel committee and also Dean Charles Suchar.

He said faculty could debate no-confidence actions this week.

DePaul spokeswoman Denise Mattson noted that President Dennis Holtschneider simply accepted recommendations of the University Board on Promotion and Tenure to deny tenure.

Meanwhile, about two dozen students have staged a sit-in outside Holtschneider’s office, demanding Finkelstein be given tenure.

About eight students slept there Monday night.