Faculty

Becoming Affiliated Faculty

Affiliated faculty have training and expertise in Africana Studies, research Africana Studies topics, and teach courses with Africana content. Their participation ranges from promoting and participating in program events, teaching and mentoring students, attending program coordinating meetings, to leading study abroad and other experiential learning programs.

Faculty become affiliates of the Africana Studies program through the invitation of the program coordinator, following the approval of the executive committee and the candidate’s home department chair. Interested faculty should submit to the program coordinator a copy of their CV as well as a brief statement of interest (no more than one page) discussing their qualifications, interests, and goals for participating in the program. See further information in the procedural document for adding affiliated faculty and executive committee members. (Those with limited experience who are not yet qualified but interested in being involved are encouraged to engage in Africana Studies events, teaching, and scholarship to build up that experience to become an affiliate.)

Governance

The major is governed by an interdisciplinary Executive Committee of faculty from at least two disciplines that meets as needed. An interdisciplinary Committee of the Whole, made up of a larger group of faculty from various disciplines, approves the work of the Executive Committee and makes major curriculum changes. Most of the assessment of the major is done by the major coordinator through competency exams and surveys of graduates. The Executive Committee and the Committee of the Whole review the results of these exams and surveys and make recommendations for needed changes. The results of the assessment work are communicated annually to all faculty affiliated with the major. At that time the faculty comment on the assessment results and those same results inform decisions regarding the curriculum structure of the major.