Tag: Dr. Sydney Freeman Jr.

Opinion

Why Do I Have to Call You Doctor?

On the first day of class I introduce myself using my formal title and ask all student to respect that request. You often see some students have a sense of confusion and bewilderment as the general culture in the Pacific Northwest is laid back and less formal. Based on informal conversations with colleagues and friends, some of them have suggested that some people may think that I may be arrogant, on some ego trip, or maybe masking some deep sense of insecurity. But it is interesting that many White peers, colleagues, and students don’t take the time to think about it from my perspective. It never occurs to them that I may approach my interactions with them as a professor differently because I am a Black man.

August 25, 2020

Faculty & Staff

Minoritized Senior Faculty in Higher Education, Please Stand Up

Recently, the tenure denials of faculty such as Sibrina Collins at the College of Wooster, Lorgia García-Peña at Harvard University, Paul Harris and Tolu Odumosu at the University of Virginia, and Ashley Woodson at the University of Missouri at Columbia, have reignited a conversation about the role of bias in tenure and promotion processes. But also, the role of tenured senior faculty of color in not only mentoring their junior colleagues, but also working to disrupt and revise these processes. Reimagining these processes in a way that is grounded in equity and justice, we offer a few recommendations.

July 8, 2020