Nadia Abu El Haj awarded tenure
It’s been confirmed that Nadia Abu El Haj has been awarded tenure: ‘Controversial Barnard prof. gets tenure’ (Jewish Telegraph Agency), ‘Embattled Barnard anthropologist is awarded tenure’ (New York Times), ‘A new fact on the ground: Nadia Abu El Haj wins tenure at Barnard College’ (Chronicle of Higher Education), ‘Nadia Abu El-Haj gets tenure at Barnard despite smear campaign’ (MuzzleWatch), ‘Tenured!’ (Dr Jim West), ‘Columbia grants Abu El-Haj tenure’ (Richard Silverstein).
The campaign to deny Abu El Haj tenure was illegitimate in its conception and, in many ways, disreputable in its tactics. I am heartily glad that it failed. Tenure is a matter internal to the academic institutions concerned and internet campaigns, petitions and anonymous smear sites cannot be allowed to play any role. As with any other scholar, Nadia Abu El Haj’s tenure process was a matter for her, her colleagues and her university, and never was anybody else’s business.
