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College of Arts and Sciences

Information Regarding Africana Studies

Updated August 1, 2023

Utilizing the system of shared governance, the Council of Africana Scholars has met with members of the College of A&S, Center for Academic Success, Student Services, and SGA throughout the summer. These collaborative meetings aim to coordinate activities to support the AFAM program. Topics discussed in the meetings include Orientation plans for incoming students, opportunities for promotion and marketing, review of campus spaces, and updates regarding the ongoing search for open AFAM positions. Students have been involved in the search process for open AFAM positions.

Ongoing discussions among the Council of Africana Scholars and representatives in Student Services, University Facilities, and University Advancement will continue in August and September 2023 to track progress and goals. 

The University will continue to update progress and information on this website.  

Updated May 17, 2023

On May 8, 2023, University leadership held an extensive and productive meeting with Protect AFAM student representatives and the president of the SGA to clarify there is no University plan to close or underfund Africana Studies. Discussions that followed the protest activities included a review of University policies and protocols, with confidential disciplinary proceedings to commence as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.

The University remains committed to supporting a robust academic program in Africana Studies and working with students to try to increase enrollments in the major and minor programs. The University recognizes that our students, independent of their major field of study, must be able to learn about their (and other) cultures, histories, and identities in academically rigorous courses. The University also acknowledges and recognizes the historical importance of Africana Studies at Seton Hall.   
 
We remind the community that we stand by other recent changes that have been made to strengthen the Africana Studies program. As one example, the College of Arts and Sciences separated the Director of Africana Studies role from the new tenure-track faculty position in Africana Studies. Dividing these roles will increase the capacity of highly qualified teachers in the program by at least three courses per year. It will also help the success and retention of the new faculty member by focusing that individual on teaching, research, and advising, which are required for successful tenure, and allowing the Director to focus on recruitment, events, outreach, marketing, website development, scheduling, and advising (among other activities).  The permanent Director of Africana Studies position will be posted online in June. The current search for the tenure-track Assistant Professor faculty member specializing in Africana Studies will continue. 
 
Utilizing the system of shared governance, several follow-up meetings with campus partners will be scheduled at the start of the fall of 2023, including but not limited to the College of A&S, Center for Academic Success, University Relations, University Facilities, University Advancement, and Student Government Association. These meetings aim to collaborate and coordinate activities to support the AFAM program. Ongoing discussions will resume in fall 2023 to track progress and goals.  

Seton Hall University enthusiastically supports the discipline of Africana Studies and underscores how vital it is for all our students, independent of their major field of study, to be able to learn about their (and other) cultures, histories, and identities. The University is also committed to being as affordable as feasible, and therefore we invest across the curricula proportionately to student enrollments to ensure all programs are equitably resourced. We are a tuition-dependent institution.  

Around 5-10 students annually apply for the Africana Studies major, with usually, at most, 1-2 enrolling. In any given academic year, approximately a dozen students are enrolled in the program (including first and second majors and minors), with the majority pursuing Africana Studies as a minor.

To strengthen the Africana Studies program, the College of Arts and Sciences has separated the role of the Africana Studies Director from the new tenure-track faculty position in Africana Studies. Dividing these roles will increase the capacity of highly qualified teachers in the program by at least three courses per year. It will also help the success and retention of the new faculty member by focusing that individual on teaching, research, and advising.  

The College of Arts and Sciences wants to ensure a successful search to find the best tenure-track faculty candidates by following our guidelines and best practices for faculty recruitment and hiring. 

  • As with all full-time faculty positions at Seton Hall, the search incorporates faculty and student participation. Academic Affairs and the Faculty Senate support student involvement in all full-time faculty searches. The Search Committee has been formed and charged, with applications under review.  

  • Although the University’s faculty contract and negotiation process involves personnel matters and is confidential, with policies in place to ensure discretion and privacy for those involved, we are eager to begin meeting candidates for these vital roles in our Africana Studies programming.  

  • For the Spring 2023 semester, consistent with practice in many interdisciplinary fields and at all universities, the program received full support and coverage from numerous tenured faculty members in several related disciplines and from the College's Dean’s Office. Qualified adjuncts have been employed to ensure that sufficient courses ran throughout the semester in order to allow students to progress toward their degrees on schedule and with a high-quality academic experience.

  • Throughout the academic year, College and University administration has met and is continuing to meet with students and faculty every other week to openly discuss the concerns around the program with leaders and faculty of the College. 

  • In January 2023, Rev. Dr. Forrest M. Pritchett, a longtime civil rights leader and eminent voice at Seton Hall for 45 years, was named interim director of Africana Studies, responsible for improving efforts to grow student interest and enrollment in Africana Studies courses and the program.  

  • The program is supported by multiple colleagues at the University, including administration and faculty, to ensure that scheduling and other logistical tasks are handled professionally and effectively based on student concerns.  

In addition, aligned to the University's strategic plan, every College/School now has an active Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice subcommittee tasked with ensuring that its core curriculum addresses said subject matter, teaches inclusively and develops inclusive extracurricular initiatives that advance equity. These teams also contribute ideas to improve faculty hiring and mentorship and to design extracurricular programming. Many new courses have been introduced, and countless syllabi have been modified to diversify our curricula, and this work continues in the Colleges and academic programs. 


Responding to Student Concerns

In 2018, the University committed to specific requests, and took the following actions:

Completed

  • In November 2020, a new director of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Compliance and Title IX Coordinator was hired and charged to ensure compliance and training programs and policies are in accord with state and federation regulations, including anti-discrimination and whistleblowing policies.
     
  • Effective since the FY20 budget, the University allocates $65,000 per year to support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.
     
  • Then Interim Provost Karen Boroff secured a commitment from the deans of all colleges and the Faculty Senate's executive committee to include student input in all full-time faculty searches, which the University continues to implement in its searches.
     
  • The University has separated the role of the Africana Studies Director from the new tenure-track faculty position in Africana Studies, which will increase the capacity of highly qualified teachers in the program by at least three courses per year. 
     
  • An interim director has been appointed and is being supported by the new Senior Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to help improve the student experience in all the interdisciplinary programs, including Women’s and Gender Studies, Latin American and Latino/Latina Studies, and Honors, as well as Africana Studies.

Ongoing 

  • The Search Committee for a new, tenure-track faculty member in Africana Studies has been formed and charged with applications under review. 

We continue to listen carefully and deliver the requests of our former and current students while engaging in dialogue and further action.