ABSTRACT
The University of Higher Learning (UHL) was picketed by a coalition of students and faculty, challenging the administration’s failure to appoint a senior Scholar of Color to a deanship. Over the years, UHL had touted its strategy, Talented Scholars of Color, a recruitment and retention program for attracting junior and senior Faculty of Color. After some early success, the university had recently seen its Faculty of Color lured away to other institutions. Among reasons cited for leaving were: lack of mentorship, second-class status, the gap between word and deed with respect to UHL’s diversity agenda, and excessive expectations for these faculty to be spokespersons for the university’s underrepresented students. In short, faculty reported feeling devalued for their accomplishments as academics and researchers, stating that their colleagues and administrators saw them only as Affirmative Action hires.
