Clarity
Needed in Charfauros Situation
Until
recently this had been a pretty good year for the Oberlin College
administration; they certainly met and exceeded any reasonable expectations
in their handling of the events of Sept. 11. But the recent handling
of Antoinette Charfauros McDaniels dismissal is not only disappointing,
it is disquieting and signals the possibility of a shift away from
the kind of values and thinking that make Oberlin, Oberlin.
This last point deserves some examination. Here at Oberlin, saying
that something threatens our Oberlinness or might make Oberlin less
Oberlin is a powerful but perhaps overused accusation; it is akin
to the Bush administration branding something un-American, or perhaps
saying that something helps the terrorists. Point being, you dont
want to be accused of un-Oberlining Oberlin.
But its a sticky thing, too, because nearly everyone has their
own idea of what Oberlin is, was, and should be. Some people see
Oberlin as an institution with a long history of diversity and acceptance;
others see that history as a misrepresentation of a better-than-others-but-not-nearly-perfect
record. Some see Oberlin becoming more selective and building its
science programs as a good thing; others point out the loss of need-blind
admissions and Oberlins rising popularity as mainstreaming
or gentrification.
There have always been these disagreements: some always see progress
as the End of Oberlin, some always hearken back to the good old
days, which were of course never as good as in retrospect. So how
might this be the real thing and not just another Chicken
Little prophecy?
The reasoning behind the decision not to rehire Charfauros McDaniel
was that it was a matter of simple procedure: she was given a year
after her hiring to complete a Ph.D., and didnt do so, but
got an extension, the deadline of which she also didnt meet.
Therefore, the College had no choice but to refuse to re-hire her.
In its Ph.D. requirement, according to College President Nancy Dye,
Oberlin is no different than any college or university I know.
Heres the key point: Oberlin is different. If only for our
steadfast insistence that we are different, we are. Insofar as our
administrative procedures are written no differently than those
of other institutions of higher learning, perhaps we are the same
as others. But a key part of Oberlin is that articulation of difference,
of Oberlinness, and that begins to get lost when we justify actions
because everybody else is doing it. It doesnt
really matter if were talking about administrative procedure
that is normally invisible to students, or about something which
affects students everyday lives in more visible ways
in this case, words can speak louder than actions.
The actions in this situation, however, do speak quite loudly. Charfauros
McDaniel is an incredibly popular professor and a rising star in
ethnic studies. She is currently an important member of Oberlins
faculty, and would be an invaluable part of a Comparative American
Studies program, should the department become a reality. At a very
basic level, it just doesnt make sense that Oberlin would
want to lose a young professor, loved by students, respected in
the field and with a host of accomplishments (including organizing
the recent East of California conference) already added to her résumé
after a short time at Oberlin.
All this leads to the question: why? Is the College administration
really that concerned with enforcing an arbitrary deadline on a
relatively arbitrary certification of merit (the Ph.D.)? Has it
become involved in a game of chicken and is now unable to swallow
its pride, and so is resting on administrative minutiae to justify
itself? Or is there something more sinister going on; does the College
administration want Charfauros McDaniel out because they disagree
with her politics or academic mission? This seems an unlikely scenario,
but one doubtless on the minds of many students for whom the administrative
procedures argument is unconvincing. So the College administration
is faced with a choice: if the rationale behind her dismissal is,
indeed, one of procedure, there should be no option but to beg forgiveness
and offer her a contract. It is simply ridiculous that a professor
of Charfaurous McDaniels talent be lost on a technicality.
But if there is another agenda at work, the College administration
owes it to its students, faculty and indeed itself to own up to
that agenda and be straightforward with its rationale. To do any
less would be an insult to the College community and Oberlins
proud tradition, however you might personally view that tradition.
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