Clark Atlanta University Accused of Fraudulently Violating Rights of Faculty Members

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has written a scathing report about Clark Atlanta University's decision to fire nearly one-fourth of its full-time faculty members one year ago. The controversy started when the school suddenly terminated 55 of its faculty members, allegedly without giving much notice.

According to the report by the AAUP, the administration selected particular faculty members for dismissal without any discernible consultation with appropriate faculty bodies. They also allegedly paid little attention to whether or not the faculty members were tenured.

The AAUP went further to state that the dismissed faculty members were not given due process, to which they were entitled to receive.

The administration states that the firings were due to an "enrollment emergency," which the AAUP argues was largely non-existent. They were also accused of violating the academic freedom of the faculty members who were dismissed and providing an inadequate severance package for the fired faculty.

In response to the findings of the AAUP, Clark Atlanta University President Carlton E. Brown issued the following statement:

CAU's enrollment numbers speak for themselves, as does the state of our Nation's economy. I'm sure you recall like I do a time not very long ago when this University boasted well over 5,000 students. Today, the enrollment is less than 4,000 students. Considering the progressive enrollment decline within the context of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression, and it should be clear to any objective person that the actions taken as a part of CAU's resource reduction program were absolutely essential. Please know that we understand and have always understood the position the AAUP would take in this matter. Our number one priority, however, has been and will always be the preservation of this fine institution for the students it serves now and will serve in the future.

Here is a Dr. Boyce translation of Dr. Brown's words: We don't have any money, because we have fewer students than we did before; it's simple math. The economy is terrible right now, and HBCUs have always struggled financially. We really don't care what the AAUP has to say about this matter, because liberal scholars at predominantly white institutions can afford to be excessively idealistic in their protections of scholarly values. They have more money than we do, so they can afford cushy things like tenure and academic freedom. We're just trying to survive.

Simultaneously, if you read between the lines, you will know that some of these firings probably were politically motivated, since academia is a place where scores are regularly settled between faculty who don't like one another. We probably didn't choose who to fire based solely on merit, but instead, chose the people we've been trying to get rid of for a very long time. That's how academia works. Oh yeah: HBCUs are NOT democracies. They are sometimes dictatorships, or shall we say, "dean-tatorships," as faculty rights tend to be trampled on a regular basis. The faculty can't do anything about it, and neither can you.

Oh, and another thing: Did you notice that there are almost no African-American professors in the business schools and science departments of HBCUs these days? They are taking your money but not always providing African-American academic role models to your children. In spite of what some might say, it's not because black scholars aren't applying for these jobs. Instead, it's because the departments are being run by people who aren't African American and who consistently overlook African-American scholars who choose to apply. Don't take my word for it - go see for yourself.

Slap me, beat me or hate my guts: I'm going to tell you the truth. I don't know how to do this any other way.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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