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25 March 2007
To Whom It May Concern:
We, the undersigned student groups, are deeply concerned upon hearing the decision of this university to deny Doctor Leslie
Brown of the Department of History, the Women's Studies Program, the American Culture Studies Program and the African and
African-American Studies Program the position as a tenured member of the Washington University faculty. This decision concerns
us not only because of the numerous services Dr. Brown personally provides to the university and its students, but what this
decision means in terms of the level of diversity existing on this campus.
In his inaugural speech in October 1995, Chancellor Mark Wrighton stated: "We must sustain our efforts to recruit
outstanding faculty and to retain them as their careers develop and flourish. Our special efforts to attract and retain women
and members of underrepresented minority groups are ones which will be encouraged, and our continuing faculty will play a
larger role in these efforts. The academic leaders, deans and department chairs have a responsibility in this regard, but
all faculty share the responsibility to enrich our faculty with greater diversity."
While we completely agree with Chancellor Wrighton's statement regarding the level of diversity on this campus and that
Washington University has made several strides in the field of diversity, we feel that there are two distinct areas in which
the University could improve upon its commitment to diversity: diversity of faculty and in the courses offered at the university.
We highly value the services directly and indirectly provided by faculty members to the cultural student organizations of
this university. These culturally diverse faculty members provide the high quality and expert level of education concerning
our cultures that we as students are unable to provide to the student body. They also provide an expert opinion on various
situations that educates other students as to our cultural histories and lived experiences. Often, these faculty members provide
students with their first formal education about these cultures as these highly educated scholars have access to materials
and the freedom to teach classes which are not available for study in the secondary schools from which we came.
In addition, a diverse faculty is able to bring a diverse body of speakers to the university, furthering its outreach
to the campus community and opportunities for academic scholarship. These faculty members along with a diversity of courses
are also able to connect students to the St. Louis community, as per Washington University's mission statement describing
a commitment to serving the St. Louis community. As students, we realize that because we are a transient population, it can
be difficult to develop lasting relationships with the community, and therefore, it is with the assistance of faculty that
we are able to sustain the bridges between ourselves and the St. Louis community. These bridges encourage students to become
well rounded and socially educated individuals, who consequently, are then more likely to serve their communities presently
and into the future. Washington University should take into account the integral role faculty members like Doctor Leslie Brown
play in helping to fulfill the University's mission of instilling their students with the value of public service and the
skills to pursue community partnerships.
While we are able to educate the campus community of our cultures based on our own experiences and studies, our endeavors
can in no way provide nearly the same level of cultural awareness and level of diversity provided by an expert faculty member.
We, the undersigned student groups, are able to celebrate our culture on this campus as we have undertaken the responsibility
to organize ourselves. However, we are unable to extensively learn about ours or any other cultures and their correspondingly
rich histories without the presence of diverse faculty members and diverse courses. Therefore, in order to be fully supported
as students and student groups on Washington University's campus, we not only need the support of the student body, but faculty
who are diverse in their cultural backgrounds and areas of study as well as the University Administration in recruiting and
retaining a diverse campus.
As applicants to this school, we considered Washington University's commitment and efforts towards realizing diversity
on this campus. We valued not only the presence of other students of our culture, but also the ability to learn inside the
classroom about our culture as well as others. Therefore, we believe that the presence of diverse faculty is crucial to the
recruitment and retention of a diverse student body. Being able to choose an academic mentor not only on field of study, but
also on similarity of appearance and experiences is crucial not only in encouraging minority students to attend the University,
but also in creating an atmosphere in which minority students believe they can be successful contributors to Academia.
We feel that Doctor Leslie Brown has played a vital role in promoting the level of diversity on this campus, as the only
African-American member of the history department faculty. Furthermore, Professor Brown is the only faculty member teaching
African-American history at this university, providing a wide array of courses for students to choose from. This is evidenced
by her offering of not only the general African-American history survey, but also highly specialized courses as the history
of the Civil Rights Movement and the history of African-American women. Her absence at this university would leave a significant
void in opportunities for the entire student body to learn about African-American history and culture. We feel that the absence
of a professor of African-American history is a disservice to the Washington University community as it prevents the student
body from learning about African-American culture and its history.
In addition, as chair of the Assembly Series committee, we feel that Professor Leslie Brown has brought a diverse body
of speakers to this university, promoting scholarship outside of the classroom. Dr. Brown is also one of the only professors
who has developed a relationship with St. Louis communities so that Washington University students might partner with these
communities to their mutual benefit. Through Dr. Brown's courses and her assistance in student programming, Dr. Brown has
provided a scholarly way for Washington University students to help document the history of St. Louis and in doing so, broaden
student's understanding of the dynamics of the city in which they live meanwhile making Washington University a more approachable
institution to the larger St. Louis community.
We feel that the services provided to Washington University by a professor of African-American history are crucial to
the academic, cultural, and social environments of our university. We encourage you to take these considerations into account
upon deciding the status of Doctor Leslie Brown at this university.
Sincerely,
_________________________
To view Professor Brown's Curriculum Vita, please click on the link below. Thank you.
Professor Brown's Curriculum Vita
[If you would like to sign the petition, please fill out the following form. Your support is greatly appreciated.]
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