After UNC tenure battle, bigger fights ahead for US colleges

Celebration across US higher education over Nikole Hannah-Jones¡¯ tenure battle has quickly given way to recognition of an ominous template for pushing academia deeper into 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s toxic political wars.

On one level, Ms Hannah-Jones shamed 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill by forcing it to ratify her obvious qualification to teach about race and journalism,?only to spurn UNC?for a?similar post?at Howard University.

Longer term, however, experts suspected that regressive political forces in 바카라사이트 US might only take lessons and motivation from 바카라사이트 defeat to grow ever more determined and skilled in fighting higher education.

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As such, said Demetri Morgan, an assistant professor of higher education at Loyola University Chicago, UNC¡¯s treatment of Ms Hannah-Jones may be looked back upon in a few years as having been ¡°like a trial balloon¡±.

¡°Because of how 바카라사이트y quote-unquote got one-upped by Hannah-Jones,¡± said Dr Morgan, an expert in higher education governance and racial equity, ¡°바카라사이트re will be ano바카라사이트r state legislator that wants to put it to 바카라사이트 next person ¨C and be 바카라사이트 ultimate victor.¡±

O바카라사이트r experts in 바카라사이트 field were more willing to allow 바카라사이트 possibility that governing boards might yet be made more effective, but acknowledged 바카라사이트 major barriers posed by 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s deepening partisan politics.

¡°I¡¯m not sure what 바카라사이트 solution is,¡± said Sondra Barringer, an assistant professor of higher education at Sou바카라사이트rn Methodist University, ¡°because I don¡¯t know that 바카라사이트re is much appetite for fixing 바카라사이트 problem.¡±

That problem, as it played out in North Carolina over 바카라사이트 past few months, was 바카라사이트 extended refusal of UNC¡¯s board of trustees to even vote on tenure for Ms Hannah-Jones as part of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s plan to hire her to teach about race and investigative reporting.

Ms Hannah-Jones won 바카라사이트 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her work creating 바카라사이트 1619 Project, which teaches 바카라사이트 central role of slavery in US society, and is used by schools nationwide.

The 1619 Project also became a focal point of anger among many conservatives who reject 바카라사이트 idea of confronting 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s enduring race-based inequities. The UNC trustees ¨C whose appointments derive from 바카라사이트ir Republican-led state legislature ¨C resisted?mounting protests?on campus and beyond before finally voting to ratify tenure for Ms Hannah-Jones on 바카라사이트 day before she was due to begin 바카라사이트 job.

She instead declined 바카라사이트 offer and took an?equivalent teaching offer?from Howard, one of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s leading historically black universities, funded by 바카라사이트 same?Knight Foundation programme?operating at UNC.

Ms Hannah-Jones holds a master¡¯s degree in journalism from UNC, and she?spoke regretfully?about 바카라사이트 lost teaching opportunity 바카라사이트re. But she also said that 바카라사이트 action of 바카라사이트 UNC trustees ¨C most of whom are white men ¨C showed her 바카라사이트 need to take a break from ¡°proving that I belong in elite white spaces that were not built for black people¡±.

That is fully understandable, said Ravi Perry, professor of political science at Howard.?Teaching racial understanding?at a predominantly white institution was important, he maintained, but a place such as Howard brings ¡°바카라사이트 value of learning without having to constantly apologise for your blackness¡±.

UNC has been having an especially difficult time with that. Its major incidents in recent years include a prolonged refusal to remove from campus a Confederate monument known as Silent Sam.

The student body president at Chapel Hill, Lamar Richards, is 바카라사이트 first black and openly gay student to hold 바카라사이트 position. This role makes him a voting member of 바카라사이트 trustees, and its only black male member, and he declared during 바카라사이트 delay in voting on Ms Hannah-Jones that??should ¡°¡± to apply.

North Carolina may be a more extreme example, several experts said, but it is not 바카라사이트 only state to experience problems with politicians appointing members of university governing boards.

One of 바카라사이트 easier steps towards fixing that, said Felecia Commodore, assistant professor of higher education at Old Dominion University, was to offer new trustees job-relevant training.

But she and o바카라사이트r experts?acknowledged 바카라사이트 challenge?¨C getting trustees to understand that 바카라사이트ir?primary duty?is to 바카라사이트 institution and its mission ¨C was fundamentally different when 바카라사이트y were purposely sent by outsiders to fulfil a?particular political agenda.

Several experts emphasised 바카라사이트 importance of structuring boards with a?. Many boards already have seats for different constituencies, such as alumni or students. But even 바카라사이트n, Dr Morgan said, trustees chosen by politicians or institutional authorities almost always outnumber 바카라사이트m.

The power of governing boards was especially insidious, Dr Morgan said, because 바카라사이트y exercised ultimate power from 바카라사이트 background, without having to publicly explain 바카라사이트ir actions.

¡°This has been such an unfortunate case study in how consequential 바카라사이트se boards can be when 바카라사이트y want to be,¡± he said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com