Cornel West Releases Resignation Letter from Harvard(npr.org)
npr.org
Cornel West Releases Resignation Letter from Harvard
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/13/1015632217/cornel-west-has-announced-hes-leaving-harvard-and-says-the-school-has-lost-its-w
107 comments
Exactly. At nearly 20 years of membership and collective service to the Divinity School and Harvard College, he's been a fixture (from undergrad, to postdoc, to lecturer, to professor, to joint appointee, to commencement speaker) for nearly as long as I have been alive, and certainly for longer than current undergrads have been alive.
If I devoted half that amount of time to an institution and received this treatment in return, I would struggle to contain my composure. I think the letter insinuates that his service to Harvard stems from a love/appreciation for what the institution stood for 20, 30, perhaps even 40-50 years ago. Who here doesn't feel similarly about their undergrad? Of those who feel that way, who else would feel irate if they were treated this way in return?
If I devoted half that amount of time to an institution and received this treatment in return, I would struggle to contain my composure. I think the letter insinuates that his service to Harvard stems from a love/appreciation for what the institution stood for 20, 30, perhaps even 40-50 years ago. Who here doesn't feel similarly about their undergrad? Of those who feel that way, who else would feel irate if they were treated this way in return?
To add to this, ironically the only reason he even went back to Harvard (IIRC) is because he has strong feelings for Harvard. He was actually tenured at Princeton when he went to Harvard. So I can't blame him lol
> "he was declined tenure for no good reason"
Usually you get tenure for a good reason. Plenty of very talented people are denied it for no good reason. I'm not saying that his accusations are untrue, but denial of tenure happens all of the time, so the onus is really on him to say why he should have gotten it.
I feel like i'm missing some pieces of this story though. Why did a previously tenured academic well into his career agree to take a poorly paid job without tenure in the first place?
Usually you get tenure for a good reason. Plenty of very talented people are denied it for no good reason. I'm not saying that his accusations are untrue, but denial of tenure happens all of the time, so the onus is really on him to say why he should have gotten it.
I feel like i'm missing some pieces of this story though. Why did a previously tenured academic well into his career agree to take a poorly paid job without tenure in the first place?
Some people are less interested in money and status than they are in discovering something original about the Universe. If not original, a new take on it. Dr West strikes me as such a person. I focused on the part of the letter that says he wanted to explore philosophy but they miscategorized his endeavors as Afro-Studies. I'd get frustrated and quit too.
> I mean what difference does it make if you're at Princeton or Harvard, they are both great schools.
Why do we tell academics they have to stay in one place forever once they get tenure? Don't they want to move around as much as anyone else? Maybe his reason was just that he wanted a change.
Why do we tell academics they have to stay in one place forever once they get tenure? Don't they want to move around as much as anyone else? Maybe his reason was just that he wanted a change.
> Why do we tell academics they have to stay in one place forever once they get tenure?
We don't tell them that. Tenured academics do move between universities, and rarely if ever have to regain tenure -- because they negotiate with the new university to immediately be at the same status they had at the old university.
If West couldn't swing that, that's on him. West definitely seems to be more interested in playing the outspoken celebrity intellectual / activist than being a serious academic, and Harvard probably didn't want to risk a replay of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornel_West#Dispute_with_Lawre....
We don't tell them that. Tenured academics do move between universities, and rarely if ever have to regain tenure -- because they negotiate with the new university to immediately be at the same status they had at the old university.
If West couldn't swing that, that's on him. West definitely seems to be more interested in playing the outspoken celebrity intellectual / activist than being a serious academic, and Harvard probably didn't want to risk a replay of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornel_West#Dispute_with_Lawre....
His resignation letter chastises the school for not giving enough attention to his mother's death-- he only got two condolences. Does this strike anyone else as a really strange thing to bring up a tally of condolences in a resignation letter?
He means that his colleagues at the Divinity School don't seem to care enough about him to send him a condolence for his mother's death. It's about the apathetic work environment at the school. That would be a problem for me, too, at my company if I chose to disclose that via a public email. Hell, I have several colleagues that wish me well when I have a cold.
Especially for a Divinity School, his point is that it marks a fundamental departure from the spirituality and community that made the school special at some point.
What struck me about his letter was not only that specifically about the death of his mother, but he also referenced the death of his colleague's mother, Dr. Cooke-Rivers, received no public condolences.
Whether that is Spiritual Bankruptcy, or merely Indifference, I know not, but it definitely reflects a culture problem of sorts.
The best workplaces do not involve parking your humanity or caring at the door.
Whether that is Spiritual Bankruptcy, or merely Indifference, I know not, but it definitely reflects a culture problem of sorts.
The best workplaces do not involve parking your humanity or caring at the door.
What does it mean to send condolences to a colleague when you don't know much about their mother? That carries the intimacy of sending someone a life event message because FB told you so.
I really don't see that as "spiritually bankrupt".
I really don't see that as "spiritually bankrupt".
I mean, I got more than two condolences from my team when I mentioned that my cat was sick, and I think my team is smaller than the Harvard Divinity School.
Spiritually bankrupt? Not sure. It’s not great though.
Spiritually bankrupt? Not sure. It’s not great though.
It has nothing to do with the mother. You would be sending condolences to him. If it's about his loss. Presumably his colleagues know something about him.
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It means “I recognize your humanity, and we all feel bad at times. It’s ok to grieve. I hope you feel better soon.” That’s what I hope it means when I send condolences to coworkers.
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He might think it is apathy, but it's not like we know their motivations.
He specified public condolences. I don't think it's uncommon for people to share those types of messages privately.
In my past experience, public condolences at work were the responsibility of administrative assistants, the folks formerly known as secretaries.
Complaining about a lack of a sympathy card is basically complaining that the admin support staff dropped the ball on meeting his personal emotional needs. So how old is Cornel?
Be nice if the complaint mentioned the unmet emotional needs of his support staff (garbage collectors, groundskeepers, janitors, food service, admin assistants, etc.) instead of simply the top of the ladder folks. Did he send sympathy cards to them during their moments of need? I’m guessing not, but I don’t know.
In my worlds, anything more public than a sympathy card would have been thought inappropriately intrusive, borderline cruel and just weird. It’s a place of work and the presumption would be the worker values a wall between work and family. An emotional HIPAA policy as it were.
Complaining about a lack of a sympathy card is basically complaining that the admin support staff dropped the ball on meeting his personal emotional needs. So how old is Cornel?
Be nice if the complaint mentioned the unmet emotional needs of his support staff (garbage collectors, groundskeepers, janitors, food service, admin assistants, etc.) instead of simply the top of the ladder folks. Did he send sympathy cards to them during their moments of need? I’m guessing not, but I don’t know.
In my worlds, anything more public than a sympathy card would have been thought inappropriately intrusive, borderline cruel and just weird. It’s a place of work and the presumption would be the worker values a wall between work and family. An emotional HIPAA policy as it were.
I took it as an example of how fake and political their communication has become, and/or how disconnected a "community" they are. Course announcement that's easy to comment on, 20 pointless "that's great!" replies. Something serious and personal, 0 or 2 (there are two cases mentioned, not just his) because it's a channel for obligatory, performative engagement with strangers, not sincere communication with close colleagues.
It's probably intended to land best with people who are familiar with how communication works in that school/department, and the general atmosphere there, I'd expect.
It's probably intended to land best with people who are familiar with how communication works in that school/department, and the general atmosphere there, I'd expect.
a tweet eulogy seems like an easy peformative act.
likely he suspects that colleagues are afraid to publicly associate with him because he is too left wing / unapologetically Black / hot topic for Harvard.
likely he suspects that colleagues are afraid to publicly associate with him because he is too left wing / unapologetically Black / hot topic for Harvard.
Maybe, and maybe the other person with a similar experience is also to be understood as similarly persona non grata, for those with more insight into the circumstances.
This is definitely one of those "could be full of shit, or might barely even be scratching the surface and is actually quite restrained" kind of letters. It's hard to tell without more info.
This is definitely one of those "could be full of shit, or might barely even be scratching the surface and is actually quite restrained" kind of letters. It's hard to tell without more info.
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No, the death of a parent (depending on one's relationship) can be incredibly devastating. It is certainly appropriate to bring that to work, because it will almost always impact one's performance.
Is it strange for folks to talk about a newborn child, or marriage at work? Conversely, what about infant death or divorce? Can you bring your "whole self" or just the good news?
Is it strange for folks to talk about a newborn child, or marriage at work? Conversely, what about infant death or divorce? Can you bring your "whole self" or just the good news?
> Conversely, what about infant death
Now that I have kids, I think back every now and again to when I was in high school and my math teacher's wife miscarried fairly far along into the pregnancy. Looking back, I'm sure that was absolutely devastating for him, but as a class I don't think we gave it a second thought.
I feel bad about that. Kids just have no concept of how big a loss that is. Hopefully the staff was more sympathetic about it.
Now that I have kids, I think back every now and again to when I was in high school and my math teacher's wife miscarried fairly far along into the pregnancy. Looking back, I'm sure that was absolutely devastating for him, but as a class I don't think we gave it a second thought.
I feel bad about that. Kids just have no concept of how big a loss that is. Hopefully the staff was more sympathetic about it.
You are right, I didn't write out my intention clearly. People should bring life experiences like that to work-- probably shouldn't keep a scorecard though.
> probably shouldn't keep a scorecard though.
Maybe, maybe. I agree with a cousin comment, that this is more of a canary than anything. I posted the whole of his letter at the top level, in large part to examine how much of his letter you're fixating on. Turns out, it's a very small part -- and he spends equal time on other public notices, and you've left that point unaddressed, so I'll expand on it.
In grief, one's loneliness is deafening, even when surrounded by loved ones. When this internal loneliness is accompanied by external loneliness, the pain is amplified to a degree that I cannot express in words. To see extensive public adulation of minor accomplishments, the lack of compassion is drawn out in painful contrast. All this serves an example of "toxic positivity" -- of which he exemplifies through a clear anecdote -- which is one of several complaints he has about the organization.
Maybe, maybe. I agree with a cousin comment, that this is more of a canary than anything. I posted the whole of his letter at the top level, in large part to examine how much of his letter you're fixating on. Turns out, it's a very small part -- and he spends equal time on other public notices, and you've left that point unaddressed, so I'll expand on it.
In grief, one's loneliness is deafening, even when surrounded by loved ones. When this internal loneliness is accompanied by external loneliness, the pain is amplified to a degree that I cannot express in words. To see extensive public adulation of minor accomplishments, the lack of compassion is drawn out in painful contrast. All this serves an example of "toxic positivity" -- of which he exemplifies through a clear anecdote -- which is one of several complaints he has about the organization.
I think it is one thing to "bring that to work" and another to expect condolences.
Weren't there truly any better reasons to resign? If no, then I think Harvard is really a good place to work.
Weren't there truly any better reasons to resign? If no, then I think Harvard is really a good place to work.
For an academic in a Divinity school, an uncaring but professional environment is a dead canary. It means something much worse than the lack of sympathy in that moment.
But, if that doesn't make sense to you, how about being systematically passed over for a promotion because of your political views?
It's hard not to see this as being a crappy place to work if you put yourself in his shoes.
But, if that doesn't make sense to you, how about being systematically passed over for a promotion because of your political views?
It's hard not to see this as being a crappy place to work if you put yourself in his shoes.
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I don't know if anything in the letter is true or accurate, of course, but that anecdote seemed to be illustrating a subtle point for people with better insight into his school than most of us have, and was definitely not the only reason cited (or else it really is just a weird thing to mention, which is possible, but, regardless, it's far from the only complaint)
This is about the public announcement and public reply to such an event. If you had a parent die, would you expect (demand, even) it to be announced in your company's newsletter and then have people publicly respond their condolences? Seems weird to me. Having been through the death of a parent, I (and others) let people know about it, and I received condolences and support privately, which I expected given the people were decent people, but doing all that in a public forum is weird and intrusive.
Yeah it's odd. Especially for those of us whose moms weren't such wonderful blessed martyrs (eyeroll). Doesn't really bolster any particular point either, unless maybe it's about careerism in the department, but otherwise seems petty: "My mom's death didn't get enough likes." Would've been good to expand on the theme maybe. Although that would've incurred costs to the current brevity.
Perhaps, he expects colleagues in a divinity school would be more aware and responsive to such a large life event.
Maybe religious people are less likely to offer condolences because they think the deceased are in "a better place"?
I don't think the people at Harvard Divinity School believe in heaven.
I don't know Cornel West, but I often find academia and some who inhabit it ... sort of impenetrable to understand.
My theory:
Many of them are passionate, and it makes them good at their job, but their personalities and their job and the relationships with their peers seem almost inseparable... resulting in the sort of mish mash of professional and personal life that seem inseparable. For some almost everything can be personal to some extent... and in some cases I would find it inappropriate to mix all that up in the way some (not all) of them do at times.
It doesn't make them wrong, but it makes it really hard to understand. Such things happen outside of academia too, but it seems particularly prevalent there in my experience.
At least that's how I explain it to myself when I bump into such things.
My theory:
Many of them are passionate, and it makes them good at their job, but their personalities and their job and the relationships with their peers seem almost inseparable... resulting in the sort of mish mash of professional and personal life that seem inseparable. For some almost everything can be personal to some extent... and in some cases I would find it inappropriate to mix all that up in the way some (not all) of them do at times.
It doesn't make them wrong, but it makes it really hard to understand. Such things happen outside of academia too, but it seems particularly prevalent there in my experience.
At least that's how I explain it to myself when I bump into such things.
Yes. I was wondering if I was misunderstanding what he meant by "public replies."
I didn't take it that way, but the news was published in the newsletter.
He's playing dispirited that only 2 colleagues made public replies while he'd get many replies for a "narcissistic academic achievement".
One wonders if he had gotten tenure and received much beloved public replies he would resign thereafter.
One wonders if he had gotten tenure and received much beloved public replies he would resign thereafter.
I thought the exact same
No. It's a signal of the lack of the Golden Rule / interpersonal, real reciprocity. I worked at a STEM department in Pac12/Ivy that was very family-like. I think that's what he felt was missing and turned him off because he's a touchy-feely (not John Key-style), warm guy who's a free-love hippie like George Clinton.
It's pretty standard for West, I remember him complaining the Summers (president of harvard) didn't send him a get well soon card quickly enough when he got cancer.
The main reasons in his conclusion are: Harvard doesn't support Palestine, he's displeased by the level of sympathy he received at his mother's passing, and general issues with the underlying politics of the curriculum.
It all seems a bit self-centered. Why publicize the letter, other than to signal and cue the outrage mob?
The letter helps make the point of how absurd these heavily-endowed universities have become.
It all seems a bit self-centered. Why publicize the letter, other than to signal and cue the outrage mob?
The letter helps make the point of how absurd these heavily-endowed universities have become.
>Harvard doesn't support Palestine
I read this differently. Figured that his point is that Harvard is willing to block his career based on an academic disagreement surrounding Palestine. Instead of engaging with his perspective and providing, well, a collegial environment for this discourse, they've undermined his academic career (while still benefiting from his speeches, tutelage, and instruction).
I read this differently. Figured that his point is that Harvard is willing to block his career based on an academic disagreement surrounding Palestine. Instead of engaging with his perspective and providing, well, a collegial environment for this discourse, they've undermined his academic career (while still benefiting from his speeches, tutelage, and instruction).
He's a celebrity public intellectual. He hasn't pioneered any ideas or theories. He builds departments and plays a ton of politics (both internally at academic institutions and publicly in the American media ecosystem.)
He's a PR intellectual. He gets way too much air time for his contributions to humanity. A boring figure.
He's a PR intellectual. He gets way too much air time for his contributions to humanity. A boring figure.
I don't know enough about his actual academic contributions to comment on that. But I have seen him in enough public appearances to know he is definitely not "a boring figure".
I don't know about that. He's someone I disagree with on many points, but he still speaks in a way that I understand. I may still disagree, but I find myself thinking that many of his points are interesting and/or at least somewhat valid.
Yeah I was over the top there. He’s smart and prolific. Public intellectuals are important, it just feels like he’s in that class that cares about spectacle over substance.
There is a growing number of academics who might argue that the spectacle can be part of the substance. For quite a long time, spectacle (or even advocacy) has been regarded as problematic in academia, particularly in the sciences. I see a lot of what West does as making “good trouble” that gets really important philosophical issues added to the general discourse
'no possible summer salary'
Summer salaries are usually paid for by research funding raised by the professor from outside sources. Typically you make sure your students are supported, then travel and operating costs for your group, then if any funding is left over, you can pay yourself summer salary.
Is the university preventing him from raising funds? If he is not raising funds, then the expenses above could be unmet. It's hard to get tenure without covering your costs.
Summer salaries are usually paid for by research funding raised by the professor from outside sources. Typically you make sure your students are supported, then travel and operating costs for your group, then if any funding is left over, you can pay yourself summer salary.
Is the university preventing him from raising funds? If he is not raising funds, then the expenses above could be unmet. It's hard to get tenure without covering your costs.
Where I was at, in an entirely different field, it wasn't uncommon for faculty to obtain summer salary through summer teaching. Usually that was reserved for graduate students, but it was a normal thing for some faculty to have.
backgrounder:
It's not obvious to outsiders that being a successful researcher is expensive, and the university does not pay for it after a short startup period. Harvard is unusual in that they have much more internal student scholarship money than most, which helps a lot. That subsidy, and the Harvard brand, means that Harvard faculty have a good advantage over the field when raising money.
On the other hand, a lot is expected of them. The university is considering the opportunity cost, and the opportunity is very valuable.
It's not obvious to outsiders that being a successful researcher is expensive, and the university does not pay for it after a short startup period. Harvard is unusual in that they have much more internal student scholarship money than most, which helps a lot. That subsidy, and the Harvard brand, means that Harvard faculty have a good advantage over the field when raising money.
On the other hand, a lot is expected of them. The university is considering the opportunity cost, and the opportunity is very valuable.
Condolences for his loss, that's always terrible to deal with.
June 30th, 2021
I hope and pray you and your family are well! This summer is a scorcher! Here is my brief and candid letter of resignation: "How sad it is to see our beloved Harvard Divinity School in such decline and decay. The disarray of a scattered curriculum, the disenchantment of talented yet deferential faculty, and the disorientation of precious students loom large. When I arrived four years ago - with a salary less than what I received 15 years earlier and with no tenure status after being a University Professor at Harvard and Princeton - I oped and prayed I could still end my career with some semblance of intellectual intensity and personal respect. How wrong I was! With a few glorious and glaring exceptions, the shadow of Jim Crow was cast in its new glittering form expressed in the language of superficial diversity: all my courses were subsumed under Afro-American Religious Studies, including those on Existentialism, American Democracy, and the Conduct of Life, no possible summer salary alongside the lowest increase possible every year. Yet I delivered two convocation addresses and one commencement speech in four years. I was promised a year sabbatical but could only take one semester in practice. And to witness a faculty enthusiastically support a candidate for tenure then timidly defer to a rejection based on the Harvard administration's hostility to the Palestinian cause was disgusting. We all new the mendacious reasons given had nothing to do with academic standards. When my committee recommended a tenure review - also rejected by the Harvard administration - I knew my academic achievements and student teaching meant far less than their political prejudices. Even my good friends in the Afro-American and African Studies Department were paralyzed, given their close relations to the administration. And after teaching extra courses, including five courses in one year, this silence continued. When the announcement of the death of my beloved Mother appeared in the regular newsletter, I received two public replies (just as that of my colleague Dr. Jacqueline Olga Cooke-Rivers who received none when her blessed Mother died). Any ordinary announcement about a lecture, award or professional advancement received about twenty replies! This kind of narcissistic academic professionalism, cowardly deference to the anti-Palestinian prejudices of the Harvard administration, and indifference to my Mother's death constitute an intellectual and spiritual bankruptcy of deep depths. In my case, a serious commitment to Veritas requires resignation - with precious memories but absolutely no regrets!"
Cornel West
I hope and pray you and your family are well! This summer is a scorcher! Here is my brief and candid letter of resignation: "How sad it is to see our beloved Harvard Divinity School in such decline and decay. The disarray of a scattered curriculum, the disenchantment of talented yet deferential faculty, and the disorientation of precious students loom large. When I arrived four years ago - with a salary less than what I received 15 years earlier and with no tenure status after being a University Professor at Harvard and Princeton - I oped and prayed I could still end my career with some semblance of intellectual intensity and personal respect. How wrong I was! With a few glorious and glaring exceptions, the shadow of Jim Crow was cast in its new glittering form expressed in the language of superficial diversity: all my courses were subsumed under Afro-American Religious Studies, including those on Existentialism, American Democracy, and the Conduct of Life, no possible summer salary alongside the lowest increase possible every year. Yet I delivered two convocation addresses and one commencement speech in four years. I was promised a year sabbatical but could only take one semester in practice. And to witness a faculty enthusiastically support a candidate for tenure then timidly defer to a rejection based on the Harvard administration's hostility to the Palestinian cause was disgusting. We all new the mendacious reasons given had nothing to do with academic standards. When my committee recommended a tenure review - also rejected by the Harvard administration - I knew my academic achievements and student teaching meant far less than their political prejudices. Even my good friends in the Afro-American and African Studies Department were paralyzed, given their close relations to the administration. And after teaching extra courses, including five courses in one year, this silence continued. When the announcement of the death of my beloved Mother appeared in the regular newsletter, I received two public replies (just as that of my colleague Dr. Jacqueline Olga Cooke-Rivers who received none when her blessed Mother died). Any ordinary announcement about a lecture, award or professional advancement received about twenty replies! This kind of narcissistic academic professionalism, cowardly deference to the anti-Palestinian prejudices of the Harvard administration, and indifference to my Mother's death constitute an intellectual and spiritual bankruptcy of deep depths. In my case, a serious commitment to Veritas requires resignation - with precious memories but absolutely no regrets!"
Cornel West
Does anyone here have any insight into what these “anti-Palestinian prejudices” are, other than the recognition of Israel’s right to exist that is shared by almost all Americans?
Israel's right to exist isn't the question. Their policy of expansionism is. West and others have described Israel's treatment of Palestinians as apartheid.
It seems worth mentioning that West's critique of the apartheid in South Africa got him in hot water with ~Harvard~[1] many years ago...
[Edit 1] whoops, Yale. Guy's been at so many institutions I can't keep track... quoth Wikipedia,
> As punishment, the university administration canceled his leave for the spring term in 1987, leading him to commute from Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, where he was teaching two classes, across the Atlantic Ocean to the University of Paris.
Edit 2: I'm not here to debate this extremely flame-prone topic, just trying to satisfy a curious-sounding question
It seems worth mentioning that West's critique of the apartheid in South Africa got him in hot water with ~Harvard~[1] many years ago...
[Edit 1] whoops, Yale. Guy's been at so many institutions I can't keep track... quoth Wikipedia,
> As punishment, the university administration canceled his leave for the spring term in 1987, leading him to commute from Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, where he was teaching two classes, across the Atlantic Ocean to the University of Paris.
Edit 2: I'm not here to debate this extremely flame-prone topic, just trying to satisfy a curious-sounding question
“West's critique of the apartheid in South Africa got him in hot water with Harvard many years ago”
That seems surprising. All I could find was when he got arrested at Yale during an anti-apartheid protest. Have a link?
Israel’s illegal settlements in occupied territory should be condemned. But there is no apartheid in Israel, and the recent chanting of this term in anti-Israel contexts shows ignorance. Palestinian citizens in Israel have the same rights of citizenship as anyone else, and sit in parliament.
That seems surprising. All I could find was when he got arrested at Yale during an anti-apartheid protest. Have a link?
Israel’s illegal settlements in occupied territory should be condemned. But there is no apartheid in Israel, and the recent chanting of this term in anti-Israel contexts shows ignorance. Palestinian citizens in Israel have the same rights of citizenship as anyone else, and sit in parliament.
No question: Harvard, Yale, Princeton...
But I think it was as a student at Yale that he got arrested, and it was for protest activity. EDIT: Nope, not a student.
Thanks for the information; I’m also glad to stay clear of the flames, which are off-topic in any case.
But I think it was as a student at Yale that he got arrested, and it was for protest activity. EDIT: Nope, not a student.
Thanks for the information; I’m also glad to stay clear of the flames, which are off-topic in any case.
I'm not a fan of West's politics (look up my comment history, because it's pretty clear what my politics are), but the comments here making light of West's objections seem completely off the mark.
Reading the letter I see a few extremely salient complaints:
1. His first complaint is that he was a token diversity hire. Instead of his courses being placed in the general coursework section, his courses were put under 'African American' religious studies. As many minorities know, this is a way of discounting minority viewpoints. No one would dare dream put a history class taught by a white professor under the 'European American studies' portion. If he's teaching a course supposedly on American democracy, then surely it should go under history or social sciences, not 'black people social sciences'.
2. Failure to compensate an appropriate amount given West's celebrity status. Again, I don't particularly like West's politics, but he is clearly quite the celebrity. It seems he was not compensated appropriately, despite Harvard being happy to use his celebrity status to further their own reputation. Pretty standard employee complaint.
3. His tenure application was denied despite Harvard asking him to leave an existing tenured professorship. He believes his application was denied not due to his teaching but because Harvard disagreed with one of his political views. Again, as much as I disagree with West's politics, it seems incredibly disingenuous to profit off of a new employee's celebrit, tempt him to join you from a stable job with promises of future stability, and then to deny him tenureship because he has differing opinions on some random issue.
4. Despite supposedly wanting a close faculty, no one in the faculty would stand up for him when his tenure was denied. The fact of his mother's death not soliciting any response was not brought up in isolation as other comments claim (current top comment does). It was brought up in reference to the fact that no one on faculty would dare speak up to the administration on his behalf and it seemed like, after tenure was denied for his beliefs on Palestine, he was ostracized from his department. Many academics know that being ostracized in your department is not good.
5. Furthermore, it seemed that Harvard has a problem in not focusing on the whole person. Instead, it's developed into a technocratic institution (which I know from personal knowledge, West decries).
So yeah, all the people saying this is only about his mother or because of palestine are either being incredibly dense or purposely deceitful.
Again, I disagree with basically everything West stands for, but I agree with him that he shouldn't essentially be exploited and then canceled. That goes against every shred of common decency.
Reading the letter I see a few extremely salient complaints:
1. His first complaint is that he was a token diversity hire. Instead of his courses being placed in the general coursework section, his courses were put under 'African American' religious studies. As many minorities know, this is a way of discounting minority viewpoints. No one would dare dream put a history class taught by a white professor under the 'European American studies' portion. If he's teaching a course supposedly on American democracy, then surely it should go under history or social sciences, not 'black people social sciences'.
2. Failure to compensate an appropriate amount given West's celebrity status. Again, I don't particularly like West's politics, but he is clearly quite the celebrity. It seems he was not compensated appropriately, despite Harvard being happy to use his celebrity status to further their own reputation. Pretty standard employee complaint.
3. His tenure application was denied despite Harvard asking him to leave an existing tenured professorship. He believes his application was denied not due to his teaching but because Harvard disagreed with one of his political views. Again, as much as I disagree with West's politics, it seems incredibly disingenuous to profit off of a new employee's celebrit, tempt him to join you from a stable job with promises of future stability, and then to deny him tenureship because he has differing opinions on some random issue.
4. Despite supposedly wanting a close faculty, no one in the faculty would stand up for him when his tenure was denied. The fact of his mother's death not soliciting any response was not brought up in isolation as other comments claim (current top comment does). It was brought up in reference to the fact that no one on faculty would dare speak up to the administration on his behalf and it seemed like, after tenure was denied for his beliefs on Palestine, he was ostracized from his department. Many academics know that being ostracized in your department is not good.
5. Furthermore, it seemed that Harvard has a problem in not focusing on the whole person. Instead, it's developed into a technocratic institution (which I know from personal knowledge, West decries).
So yeah, all the people saying this is only about his mother or because of palestine are either being incredibly dense or purposely deceitful.
Again, I disagree with basically everything West stands for, but I agree with him that he shouldn't essentially be exploited and then canceled. That goes against every shred of common decency.
For 1 2 and 3, it seems that West and Harvard simply disagreed on the value he gave to the institution in terms of what he was teaching and his celebrity.
> No one would dare dream put a history class taught by a white professor under the 'European American studies'
... that's because no one would dare dream to have a 'European American studies' program in the first place.
... that's because no one would dare dream to have a 'European American studies' program in the first place.
That's because it's as pointless as african american studies.
All have merit in their own right.
Not really. African studies is a thing (and European studies is a thing). However African American studies is a subset of American studies, just like European American studies. It's not like we have a special trigonometry department.
There are "Whiteness Studies" that exist to disparage white people because colonialism. Actual positive in-depth looks at European culture, yeah, no, nobody's loony enough to do that in the current shitfest of an environment.
I am really sorry he was not treated well. He is one of those people who I am grateful to have in the world because they push back against untrue “accepted narratives.” There is so much bullshit in the world, from corporations, governments, and almost all news media. I look to West, Chomsky, Tulsa Gabbard and a few others who I think really say and do what is right.
I have never seen Cornel West talk live - I need to fix that.
I have never seen Cornel West talk live - I need to fix that.
Does anyone have a direct link to the text of the letter?
OCR of your image
https://pastebin.com/raw/66mAzqyL
Pleasantly surprised by the quality and turnaround -- thank you for Pastebinning the letter!
I think Harvard has wrapped itself in an echo chamber and views itself as, well, invincible. Nothing can hurt Harvard. Nothing can tarnish its reputation. It doesn’t need anyone, with the money it has in the bank, and I think all of those billions has fulfilled the adage that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Did you read the resignation letter? It had pretty much nothing to do with "corruption" or absolute power.
Did you read the resignation letter? I thought it was pretty obvious that corruption - maybe in a less sinister form - was the underlying reason for the issues he brought up.
Given how wrapped the letter is in one-sided rhetoric and how full it is of sweeping, dismissive accusations such as "we all knew the mendacious reasons had nothing to do with academic standards"... how exactly do extract an "obvious" takeaway about the underlying events?
He spoke about Palestine and not getting enough condolences for his mother's death. Neither of those subjects jump out as "corruption".
Apathy and politicaly-motivated administration is corruption of a collegial environment and academic responsibilities.
Did you even read the HckrNews rules?
“Please don't comment on whether someone read an article. "Did you even read the article? It mentions that" can be shortened to "The article mentions that."”
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
“Please don't comment on whether someone read an article. "Did you even read the article? It mentions that" can be shortened to "The article mentions that."”
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
Their endowment is was $39 billion (yes, b, not m) back in 2018 according to WSJ.
I love Cornel West, but he's left Harvard in a huff three or four times in the last twenty years.
I feel like this is the second news cycle for this departure, even.
I feel like this is the second news cycle for this departure, even.
It is a bit strange to see a professor of divinity complaining about intellectual bankruptcy.
(To be fair, his list of courses taught seem broader than "divinity". )
(To be fair, his list of courses taught seem broader than "divinity". )
Harvard still has a divinity school? That's retro.
Do you think the Department of Philosophy is retro as well? Theology has shaped humanity, wouldn't it be weird for a school as prestigious as Harvard to not have a school for it?
Most of the ideas within Theology are ideas that went on to become known as Philosophy (for proof: Christian theology came after Philosophy but Aristotle was regarded as the authority on basically everything for pre-Reformation theologians, despite him not being a Christian or having anything to with Christianity...this also occurred in Judaism and Islam).
There are obviously topics that are fairly inseparable from religion, for example hermeneutics, but religion is just another frame of reference onto all the issues that are still important to humans today. Whether you believe that God exists or not is usually not particularly relevant, you just believe the eventual cause is different.
There are obviously topics that are fairly inseparable from religion, for example hermeneutics, but religion is just another frame of reference onto all the issues that are still important to humans today. Whether you believe that God exists or not is usually not particularly relevant, you just believe the eventual cause is different.
There are many parallels between theology and philosophy, that's why I mentioned it... I still don't understand what that has to do with them being passé? There's nothing rétro about studying divinity.
Philosophy makes a lot more sense then Theology.
Yes, philosophy was rendered irrelevant by the scientific method.
I'm hoping this is sarcasm
I presume it must be, here is a post from them philosophizing: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27789493
Maybe the argument is similar to: Having a "School of Alchemy" is a poor choice for teaching the history of Chemistry.
It's not necessarily about training seminarians; it's a school for research into historical and contemporary religions, and not just Christianity.
Harvard was founded to train clergy. It is named for a clergyman.
And unlike every other Ivy League school it doesn't have a graduate fine are art dept. Even more retro.
*Harvard Divinity School
Yikes, the writing in that letter was not up to par for a professor who was seeking tenure at a prestigious university. The tone, word choice, layout, everything felt amateur and overly emotional. I haven't read many resignation letters but I'd have expected more polish and professionalism.
One takes a rather different tone in a pointed and deliberate "fuck you; strong letter to follow" than in a resignation letter that's mostly polite BS, as is typical.
I'm not sure the point was about tone. It was letter by an academic for an academic touting the former's intellectual contributions and apparently intended to be publicly displayed. I would have expected something more structured, easier to follow, and better targeted.
It does seem rather inside-baseball for something released publicly. Maybe the audience is only a subset of the public, though, and this was just the simplest way to get it to them.
keel1o(2)
They are however, ignoring the part where he was declined tenure for no good reason, and despite being a professor at other prestigious universities. He was also paid badly and was treated poorly when it came to sabbaticals.
In other words he was sidelined for no good reason. This is sad.
There are some questions though, why did he leave Princeton? I mean what difference does it make if you're at Princeton or Harvard, they are both great schools.