In protest of merger, Robert Harris steps down as director of Cornell University's Africana center
The Cornell Daily Sun
December 4, 2010
Prof. Robert L. Harris, Jr. resigned his post as director of the Africana Research and Studies Center in protest of the University’s announcement Wednesday that the Africana Center — currently a unit under the supervision of Provost Kent Fuchs and separate from any of Cornell’s seven undergraduate colleges — will be merged into the College of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1, 2011.
Though Fuchs said the Africana center would enjoy increased efficiency and better support as part of the College of Arts and Sciences, the move was met with immediate backlash from Africana students and faculty alike, who said they were unhappy with the lack of dialogue regarding the administrative change as well as other concerns.
“In 41 years of service to Cornell, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Prof. James Turner, Africana studies and founder of the Africana Research and Studies Center.