The University has been unsuccessful in hiring an Asian American Studies professor, though the search is continuing, professor of English and African American Studies Anne Cheng '85 said.
The search, which has spanned candidates in multiple disciplines, launched in November 2014. The Council of the Humanities is seeking candidates with a doctorate and excellence in a humanities or social science discipline, as well as a thematic focus on Asian American Studies. The selected person would hold the title of professor or associate professor in the department most aligned with his or her research and be affiliated with the Program in American Studies.
The application deadline is listed as "Open Until Filled," and evaluation of applicants began on Nov. 15.
Cheng, an advocate for Asian American Studies and one of two faculty currently teaching courses related to Asian American Studies, declined to comment further.
Beth Lew-Williams, who was hired last year as the University's first professor of Asian-American history, also declined to comment on the ongoing search.
University spokesman Martin Mbugua deferred comment to the Program in American Studies.
Former Asian American Students Association president Evan Kratzer ’16 said his student group believes there has been a problem in how the University has structured the search. He explained that the search for an Asian American Studies professor has been facilitated and coordinated by the Program in American Studies.
“Even though American Studies is the one trying to build the program and would be the center for Asian American Studies, it does not have final say on the hiring,” he noted.
Kratzer said the search is structured so that the Program in American Studies needs approval and coordination for final hiring from outside the department.
“We aren’t necessarily entirely surprised that it failed, considering that the bureaucratic wrangling behind trying to hire this faculty member is unnecessarily complicated,” he said.
Kratzer emphasized that the school has a need for an Asian American Studies professor.
“At a very basic level, I think that an Asian American Studies professor is necessary at a university because it expands our view of race in America,” he said.
The Asian-American narrative presents a much more complicated picture of race than that depicted in a strictly black-white narrative, Kratzer said.
As the University enters an increasingly globalized world, the establishment of an Asian American Studies program is especially important, Kratzer said. He added that the presence of a senior faculty member is essential to developing any kind of Asian American Studies program, given that no faculty members at the University other than Cheng and Lew-Williamsprimarily focus on Asian American Studies as their field.
“If you want to ensure there’s a community focused on studying Asian-American studies at university, you need faculty members,” Kratzer said. “Having a senior professor not only increases the number of faculty at the University, [but] it also increases stability and diversifies the community that exists here.”
Andrew Hahm '17, the former Asian American Studies chair of the Asian American Students Association, expressed dissatisfaction with the search process so far.
“For us, I think it’s a little disappointing that it’s taking this long, especially for students who really want to see this program go up," Hahm said. "Having these really long delays in hiring faculty ... doesn’t seem to be the norm."
Correction: Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this article misstated the number of faculty members associated with the Asian-American studies program. There are no faculty members at the University associated with the program other than Anne Cheng and Beth Lew-Williams. The 'Prince' regrets the error.
Read More
‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ at Princeton
Daily Princetonian StaffPrinceton students began a sit-in McCosh Courtyard early Thursday morning, joining a wave of pro-Palestinian sit-ins across the country.
Princeton students began a sit-in McCosh Courtyard early Thursday morning, joining a wave of pro-Palestinian sit-ins across the country.
‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ launches at Princeton, students arrested
Annie Rupertus and Miriam WaldvogelPrinceton students erected a tent encampment in McCosh Courtyard early Thursday morning, joining a wave of pro-Palestinian sit-ins across the country. Princeton Public Safety has issued its first warning to protesters, and at least two student arrests has been made.
Princeton students erected a tent encampment in McCosh Courtyard early Thursday morning, joining a wave of pro-Palestinian sit-ins across the country. Princeton Public Safety has issued its first warning to protesters, and at least two student arrests has been made.
In preemptive move, U. says encampment protestors will likely be arrested and barred from campus
Miriam WaldvogelStudents participating in an encampment on campus will be arrested and “immediately” barred from University grounds, Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun wrote in an email to undergraduates on Wednesday morning. The move serves as an unprecedented pre-emptive response to the growing trend of pro-Palestinian encampments that have gripped peer institutions.
Students participating in an encampment on campus will be arrested and “immediately” barred from University grounds, Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun wrote in an email to undergraduates on Wednesday morning. The move serves as an unprecedented pre-emptive response to the growing trend of pro-Palestinian encampments that have gripped peer institutions.
