Cornel West resigns saying Harvard University is in ‘decay’

Cornel West, the philosopher and activist, is parting ways with Harvard University once again. In a resignation letter shared on social media, West cited “superficial diversity” and “political prejudices” as reasons for leaving the Ivy League school, writes Gabriela Miranda for USA Today.

On Monday night, West published his one-page letter, claiming that after 15 years of teaching at Harvard, his tenure application was rejected. The letter was dated 30 June. “We all knew the mendacious reasons given had nothing to do with academic standards. When my committee recommended a tenure review – also rejected by the Harvard administration – I knew my academic achievements and student teaching meant far less than their political prejudices,” West wrote.

Over the years, West, author of Race Matters and Democracy Matters, has had a history of disagreeing with Harvard administrators. In 1993, he was offered tenure, then left the university in 2002 after a public spat with then-president Lawrence Summers. West claimed Summers monitored his research, requested to examine his course records and questioned the merit of his scholarship. West took a position at Princeton University where he received tenure and taught for 14 years. In spring 2016, West returned to Harvard as a professor in philosophy, and in 2019, he returned to teaching African and African American studies.
Full report on the USA Today site