Dr. Paul C. Harris, an education professor at the University of Virginia, was offered promotion from assistant to associate professor, but – despite positive feedback up until the decision was made – he didn’t receive tenure.
The promotion and tenure committee argued that Harris’ publication record didn’t meet expectations, noting his work in the Journal of African American Males in Education seemed to be “self-published,” even though it’s a selective, peer-reviewed journal that’s well regarded, particularly among scholars of color. The committee also claimed his citation count was significantly lower than what appeared on Google Scholar.
In response to the committee’s decision, over 4,000 of his former students and colleagues signed a petition denouncing Harris’ tenure denial and minority academics across the country, who had confronted similar hurdles during their tenure processes, reached out to him.
“It’s almost been jarring how not alone I am,” Harris told Diverse Editor-at-Large Dr. Jamal Watson. “I know my case is a symptom of a larger problem.”
Harris, who researches college readiness and Black male athlete identity, shared his story on Wednesday’s Diverse Talk Live webcast, followed by a panel discussion about the obstacles minority scholars face on their road to tenure. Black faculty make up only 4% of full professors in the United States, according to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics, and panelists saw inequities in the tenure process as a critical factor.
Cases like Harris’, in which tenure committees undervalue publications in minority journals, are “all too damn common,” said Dr. Donna Y. Ford, a distinguished professor of education at Ohio State University. Black scholarly publications are relegated to “second-class status,” she added, when “the reality is many mainstream journals won’t accept our work.”
That’s partly because research about race is often “dissonance provoking” for other academics, said Dr. Mary Howard-Hamilton, distinguished professor and chair of educational leadership at Indiana State University.
