TAMPA, FLORIDA

A national professors group is investigating whether the University of South Florida is violating academic freedoms in its actions against a professor who is accused for ties to Islamic terrorists.

A delegation from the American Association of University Professors met separately Friday with university president Judy Genshaft and Sami Al-Arian, the computer engineering professor who has been on paid suspension since September 2001.

The three professors who made up the delegation declined comment after the closed-door meetings.

Genshaft, who took steps to dismiss Al-Arian from his tenured position in December, said Friday she would wait until the group concluded its investigation.

Al-Arian emerged from his meeting upbeat. "They understand the issues and will deal with them in the proper way," he said.

Al-Arian is the former head of a university-based Islamic study think tank and charity the FBI has accused of being a front for terrorists. He denies any wrongdoing and denies knowing that speakers his group sponsored were terrorists. What is interesting that Mr. Al-Arian has never been arrested.

Al-Arian contends he is being fired because of his pro-Palestinian views. University officials say his firing would have nothing to do with academic freedom; they say he is a safety risk on campus and did not clearly say he was not speaking for the school when he expressed his opinions publicly.

Al-Arian's brother-in-law and co-founder of the groups, Mazen Al-Najjar, was once held for more than three years on secret evidence accusing him of being a threat to national security. Al-Najjar is now in federal custody, waiting to be deported.

Ramadan Abdulah Shallah, brought by Al-Arian to head the think-tank, left abruptly in 1995 and resurfaced as the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Al-Arian was placed on paid leave in September after his appearance on a cable news show drew death threats and prompted scores of university donors to threaten to withhold financial support.

If Genshaft formally fires him, Al-Arian could appeal to an arbitrator, whose decision would be binding.

The professors group could make its recommendation as early as June. It could recommend to censure the university for violations of academic freedom, a step that could damage the university's academic reputation and its ability to attract top professors and researchers.