Arica Coleman misses engaging in intellectual discussions with university students, and watching young men and women develop into critical thinkers.
The former University of Delaware professor hasn’t taught since 2014.
Coleman said the university where she taught African-American studies stripped away her opportunities when they denied her tenure, which would have provided job security and academic freedom.
Coleman believes she met the teaching, service work, and publishing criteria for tenure at UD — and said the rejection was discriminatory because male colleagues with similar achievements were awarded that status. She believes racial and gender disparities within the hiring, promotion, and tenure process are too common at the university.
“There’s no reason I should not be at UD right now, except for a system of inequality and a group of people who are willing to be complicit within that system,” Coleman said.
UD officials declined to comment directly, citing personnel matters but pointed to initiatives to increase diversity in the difficult tenure process that essentially offers guaranteed employment.
Click on the headline below from WHYY.
Former professor says University of Delaware tenure process stifles diversity
