TO THE EDITOR:
The recently issued “Review of Courses in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies” at UNC is sobering and disappointing for all of us who believe deeply in African and Afro-American studies and are committed to upholding the ideals and the integrity of the University.
The findings of the report have been a heavy blow to us. We are particularly mindful of our majors who have worked hard, with integrity, and are in no way implicated in this report that deals primarily with a subset of summer school courses taken mostly by non-majors.
There are two findings of the report that merit greater attention:
Finding 7: “No evidence emerged during the review that directly implicates any faculty or staff other than potentially professor Nyang’oro or Ms. Crowder in the creation of aberrant or irregularly taught courses, or in the recording or changing of student grades in these courses.”
And from the conclusion: “The evidence we reviewed indicated that between 2007 and 2011 the vast majority of courses offered in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies were not compromised in the ways outlined in this report.”
The vast majority of all students taking our course were not impacted.
The report also made clear that the determined and visionary new department chair and the faculty have put in long hours establishing policies and procedures that will ensure that nothing remotely like this situation will ever happen again.
Most importantly, we want to ensure that our graduating majors will be able to enjoy the day of pride and celebration that they have earned.
