Written/Unwritten : Diversity and the Hidden Truths of Tenure

Reveals that faculty of colour often face two sets of rules when applying for reappointment, tenure, and promotion: those made explicit in handbooks and faculty orientations or determined by union contracts and those that operate beneath the surface. It is this second, unwritten set of rules that disproportionally affects faculty who are hired to “diversify” academic departments.

The academy may claim to seek and value diversity in its professoriate,but reports from faculty of colour around the country make clear that departmentsand administrators discriminate in ways that range from unintentionalto malignant. Stories abound of scholars—despite impressive records ofpublication, excellent teaching evaluations, and exemplary service to theiruniversities—struggling on the tenure track. These stories, however, are rarelyshared for public consumption. Written/Unwritten reveals that faculty ofcolour often face two sets of rules when applying for reappointment, tenure,and promotion: those made explicit in handbooks and faculty orientationsor determined by union contracts and those that operate beneath the surface.It is this second, unwritten set of rules that disproportionally affectsfaculty who are hired to “diversify” academic departments and then expectedto meet ever-shifting requirements set by tenured colleagues and administrators.Patricia A. Matthew and her contributors reveal how these implicitprocesses undermine the quality of research and teaching in American collegesand universities. They also show what is possible when universities persistin their efforts to create a diverse and more equitable professorate. Thesenarratives hold the academy accountable while providing a pragmatic viewabout how it might improve itself and how that improvement can extend toacademic culture at large.

The contributors and interviewees are Ariana E. Alexander, MarlonM. Bailey, Houston A. Baker Jr., Dionne Bensonsmith, Leslie Bow, AngieChabram, Andreana Clay, Jane Chin Davidson, April L. Few-Demo, EricAnthony Grollman, Carmen V. Harris, Rashida L. Harrison, AyannaJackson-Fowler, Roshanak Kheshti, Patricia A. Matthew, Fred Piercy, DeepaS. Reddy, Lisa Sánchez González, Wilson Santos, Sarita Echavez See, AndrewJ. Stremmel, Cheryl A. Wall, E. Frances White, Jennifer D. Williams, andDoctoral Candidate X.