Thread by @DrHarrisJay

Now that commencement is over and my office is empty…

I am excited to be the incoming full professor and Department Chair of Africana Studies at @msudenver 🤗🫣😊

Strap in because I have a story about that counteroffer… 1/

https://twitter.com/drharrisjay/status/1790487216650609089

I was selectively on the market this year after watching my current institution first ignore, then obfuscate the institutional viewpoint on SB17 (Texas’ anti-DEI bill). And finally default to “compliance” with the new law. 2/

I served as the program coordinator of African American Studies (which I transformed from just a minor into a major ), chair of the DEI committee in my college, President of the Black Faculty and Staff Association, and faculty advisor for a women of color student organization 3/

I add these titles to say I was deeply concerned with how my institution responded to SB 17 and the message was always shifting.

Anyway, I got an offer from MSU Denver and informed the institution I’d be willing to hear a counteroffer. They agreed that retention was the goal. 4/

In response to a promotion in rank, title, and $40k more in salary I was offered an additional $3k in salary to stay.

That’s it. 5/

I was told my CV didn’t warrant anything else. BUT no one asked to see an updated version of my CV before the counteroffer.

If they had, it would’ve shown book 2 almost complete, proposal for book 3 complete, two book chapters, and an additional article this year alone. 6/

No request to see my offer letter to verify the numbers.

No discussion of the fact I developed an entire African American Studies curriculum AND got it approved in the state of Texas.

No note of the now 15 majors (+ incoming freshmen) for a program that had 0 before me. 7/

I am not the first Black woman senior scholar for the school to lose because of bad faith counteroffers. And I won’t be the last.

But I am so excited about heading to Denver, my new role @msudenver, and this next chapter of my professional career!

Go Runners!