Difference between revisions of "Campus controversies"

m (I think that's a typo. Now it's consistent with department listing)
(large-scale rework, acting on my own behalf)
Line 1: Line 1:
Nigaleian --- a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neologism neologism] which combines the words nigger and Laleian --- describes the 2004 scandal involving Associate Professor of Art [[Aida Laleian]], Associate (then Assistant) Professor of Art [[Laylah Ali]] '90 and the use of the term "nigger" at an Art department meeting.
+
A comment using the term "nigger" made by [[studio art]] professor [[Aida Laleian]] to studio art professor [[Laylah Ali]] '90 at a department meeting in Spring 2004 was the spark for a number of events of campus-wide publicity and importance that, together, are probably rightly called a scandal.
  
For the most part, the facts of the scandal are not in dispute.
+
The incident was first drawn to students' attention by an email from President [[Morton Owen Schapiro]], containing a preface announcing the beginning of what would be called the [[Diversity Initiative]]s, delivered a communication from then Acting Dean of Faculty, [[Bill Lenhart]].  Lenhart's text stated that a professor had
 
 
At [http://www.ephblog.com/archives/001142.html a meeting] of the Art Department (it is not clear if this meeting included professors of art history as well as studio art), Laleian
 
  
 
<blockquote>
 
<blockquote>
raised a concern about the status of her own field of professional work relative to the fields of the others. At one point, she made a heated statement to the effect that she did not want her field to be "used as a nigger."
+
raised a concern about the status of her own field of professional work relative to the fields of the others. At one point, she made a heated statement to the effect that she did not want her field to be "used as a nigger." (email to williams-students from Schapiro, Sep 10 2004)
 
</blockquote>
 
</blockquote>
  
Present at the meeting was Assistant Professor of Art [[Laylah Ali]] '90. Ali is African-American. Professor of Art Ed Epping [http://www.williamsrecord.com/wr/?section=news&view=article&id=5847 claimed that]
+
Lenhart stated that he had investigated the incident and imposed sanctions on the offending professor, whose identity was announced to the community in an email from Lenhart on the 23rd. He announced then as well that a discrimination grievance had been filed.  On November 1st, the public portion of the proceedings were officially concluded in two emails from Laleian, one to Ali and one to the community at large.
 
 
<blockquote>
 
“All of the faculty who witnessed what happened at the meeting were stunned,” said Ed Epping, professor of art. “The force of the statement directed at Professor Ali was such that there was no way for Professor Ali to remain in the room.” Epping is on sabbatical in New York this semester, but was in attendance at the department meeting last spring.
 
 
 
When asked if he had been troubled by any public misconceptions of the incident, Epping said, “What I believe is not being discussed as fully as is required...is the vehemence with which this phrase was spoken and the directness of its intent.” It may read otherwise on paper, he said, but “the word ‘nigger’ was not used in that situation as a metaphor.”
 
</blockquote>
 
  
It is not clear who, other than Epping, Laleian and Ali, was at the meeting.
+
The event generated a high volume of public discussion of the incident and more generally of issues of tolerance and diversity at Williams.  The Committee on Community and Diversity, the Multicultural Center, and the office of Human Resources were formally asked by Schapiro to contribute guidance to wise development from the matter.  Informally, discussion was widespread among students at the event's outset, most publicly on [http://wso.williams.edu/blogs WSO blogs] and [http://www.ephblog.com Ephblog].

Revision as of 20:08, March 14, 2006

A comment using the term "nigger" made by studio art professor Aida Laleian to studio art professor Laylah Ali '90 at a department meeting in Spring 2004 was the spark for a number of events of campus-wide publicity and importance that, together, are probably rightly called a scandal.

The incident was first drawn to students' attention by an email from President Morton Owen Schapiro, containing a preface announcing the beginning of what would be called the Diversity Initiatives, delivered a communication from then Acting Dean of Faculty, Bill Lenhart. Lenhart's text stated that a professor had

raised a concern about the status of her own field of professional work relative to the fields of the others. At one point, she made a heated statement to the effect that she did not want her field to be "used as a nigger." (email to williams-students from Schapiro, Sep 10 2004)

Lenhart stated that he had investigated the incident and imposed sanctions on the offending professor, whose identity was announced to the community in an email from Lenhart on the 23rd. He announced then as well that a discrimination grievance had been filed. On November 1st, the public portion of the proceedings were officially concluded in two emails from Laleian, one to Ali and one to the community at large.

The event generated a high volume of public discussion of the incident and more generally of issues of tolerance and diversity at Williams. The Committee on Community and Diversity, the Multicultural Center, and the office of Human Resources were formally asked by Schapiro to contribute guidance to wise development from the matter. Informally, discussion was widespread among students at the event's outset, most publicly on WSO blogs and Ephblog.