April21,2017

DearPomonaCollegeSociologyDepartment,DeanBilger,andPresidentOxtoby,

We,acollectiveofSociologystudents,alumni,andalliesatPomonaCollege,arewritingtoexpressourangerand
concernregardingtherecenthireofAliceGoffman.GoffmanshireprovestheCollege'sfailuretowholeheartedly
addressunderrepresentationoffacultyofcolorandPomonasinstitutionalinadequacytorecognizeandadvocate
forthebestinterestsofstudentsofcolor.PomonaCollegepridesitselfonbeingoneofthenation'sfinestliberal
artscolleges.Werightfullyboasthavingexceptionalfaculty,andprovidingintimatelearningenvironments.
However,thenationalcontroversyaroundAliceGoffman'sacademicintegrity,dubiousreputation,her
hyper-criminalizationofBlackmen,andhyper-sexualizationofBlackwomendoesnotembraceandalignwithour
sharedcommunityvalues.

Moreover,thepositionGoffmanwashiredfor,theMcConnellVisitingProfessorChair,wascreatedwiththeaimto
improvethetoleranceandsympathyofindividualsforeachotherandtheirunderstandingoftheirrespective
motivations.Thishiredoesnotenhanceacultureofinquiryandunderstandingoncampusaswenavigatea
tumultuoustimeinournationshistory;onthecontrary,itboaststheframeworkthatwhitewomencantheorize
aboutandprofitfromBlackliveswhilegivingnoroomforBlackacademicstoclaimscholarshipregardingtheir
ownlivedexperiences.

Tothisend,wedemand:
1. TherescindmentoftheoffertohireAliceGoffmanastheMcConnellVisitingProfessorofSociology.In
thecasethatshehasacceptedtheoffer,wedemandtheterminationofhercontract.
2. Ameetingwiththefacultyhiringcommittee,DeanofFaculty,andPresidentOxtobynolaterthan
Wednesday,April26thtodiscussgreatertransparencyintheprocessofhiringSociologyfacultyaswellas
thefuturedirectionoftheSociologyDepartmentasawhole.
3. AformalletterwrittenbythefacultyhiringcommitteereleasedbyMonday,May1stthatdetails:
a. Therationalethatledtothishiringdecision.
b. Thelackofrepresentativestudentinvolvementinthehiringprocess.
c. ConcretestepstheDepartmentwilltakemovingforwardtoensuresuchundemocratic,coverthiring
processesareneverrepeated.

DemandOne:OntheRescindmentofGoffmansJobOffer
AliceGoffmansresearchmethods.AliceGoffmansqualitativeresearchmethodshavebeencriticizedheavilyby
numerousscholarsinthefieldofsociology.Hermethodshaveendangeredherresearchparticipants,encouraged
thehyper-policingofBlackcommunities,andcontinuetoperpetuateanti-Blackness.Goffmansresearchhasbeen
critiquedbyDr.VictorRiosasbeingafatalistic,sensationalistnarrativewhichispositionedtoreifystereotypes
likethoseoftheghettoanditsnoncomposmentisresidents.Moreover,aNewYorkTimesarticlefurtherdescribes
thecontroversysurroundingGoffmanswork.Thearticlestates,InMay,anunsigned,60-page,single-spaced
documentwasemailedfromathrowawayaddresstohundredsofsociologists,detailingaseriesofclaimscasting
doubtontheveracityofeventsasGoffmandescribedthem.Additionally,hiringwhitefacultywhoengagein
voyeuristic,unethicalresearchandwhoarenotmindfuloftheirpositionalityasoutsiderstothecommunitiesthey
studyreinforcesharmfulnarrativesaboutpeopleofcolor.ThispracticeisdetrimentaltoPomonasgoalof
supportingstudentsofcolor;wecondemntheharmGoffmansresearchhascausedBlackcommunities.Itis
especiallytroublingthatGoffmanspublicationshavebeencritiquedasracist,sensationalistandunethical.Ifno
actionistaken,theSociologyDepartmentwillknowinglyprovideGoffmanwithaplatformtopromoteharmful
researchmethodsinSociology51:IntroductiontoSociology,Sociology102:QualitativeResearchMethodsand
othercourses.

PomonaCollegescommitmenttodiversityinhighereducation.OnMay12,2016,thefacultypasseda
revisiontothefacultyandtenurecriteriatoincludelanguageoffosteringaninclusiveclassroom.Additionally,
thisrevisionrecognizestheimportanceoffacultymentorship.Thisrevisioncameaftermorethan400Pomona
studentsdemandedthatchangebemade.ThevastmajorityofSociologymajorsarestudentsofcolor(andmostare
womenofcolor),butthefacultyarenotatallrepresentativeoftheirstudentsdiversity.TheSociologyDepartment
atPomonaCollegehasnotconsistentlyhadenoughfull-timefacultymembersofcolortosupportitsmarginalized
students.Thisisdeeplyconcerninggiventhatthepercentageofstudentsofcolorhasbeenincreasingwitheach
admittedclass,withtheClassof2021consistingof56.7%studentsofcolor.

DemandTwo:OntheMeetingwithFacultyandAdministrators
WedemandtohaveameetingbyWednesday,April26thwiththefacultyhiringcommittee,DeanofFaculty,and
PresidentOxtobytodiscussthefollowing:

1. Addressingtheextremelackoftransparencyinthehiringprocess.Weareangeredabouttheextreme
lackoftransparencyintheSociologyDepartmentthroughoutthisprocess,andtheabsenceof
communicationorannouncementsaboutthehire.Sociologystudentsweregivennonoticethatthe
Departmentwashiringanewprofessor.Candidateswereonlyreferredtoasguestlecturers,notas
potentialfacultymembers.Studentsattendingthelecturesweregivennoplatformtoprovidefeedback
aboutcandidates.

2. Thecreationofpeer-appointed,influentialstudentpositionsonthehiringcommittee.Thestudents
appointedforthecommitteeshouldbeselectedbypeersandrepresentativeofthedemographicsandneeds
offellowSociologystudents.Thesestudentswillbeattheforefrontofallcurrentandfuturehiring
decisionsintheSociologyDepartment.Thecurrentlackoftransparencyandstudentinputonhiring
decisionsisnotanissueuniquetotheSociologyDepartment,butisarecurringpatternthroughoutthe
College.Despitestudentorganizinganddissent,studentsconcernshaveremainedconsistentlyunaddressed.

3. DiscussingthefuturetrajectoryoftheSociologyDepartment.WhileSociologyclaimstocritique
elitismandinterlockingsystemsofdominationandpower,theDepartmentperpetuatestheseveryforcesby
excludingstudentsfromcrucialconversationssurroundingthefutureoftheDepartment.Withthishire,as
ofthe2017-2018academicyear,theDepartmentwillhavezerowomenofcolorfacultymembers.The
DepartmentrejectedtheopportunitytochangethisduringthehiringprocessfortheMcConnellVisiting
ProfessorofSociology,wherethetwoothercandidatesforthispositionwerehighlyqualifiedBlackwomen
whosecriticalresearchfocusesonintersectionalityandstructuralinequality.TheSociologyDepartment
claimstosupportstudentsofcolor,butthishiringdecisionsendstheoppositemessage.Studentsneed
authenticmentors.ThehiringofAliceGoffmanhasalready,andwillcontinuetodiscouragestudentsof
 color,andespeciallywomenofcolor,fromenteringtheSociologyDepartmentandacademiaforyearsto
come.

DemandThree:OntheFormalLetterfromFaculty
ThislettershallbewrittenandreleasedbytheSociologyfacultyaftertheconclusionofmeetingsbetweenSociology
studentsandthefaculty/administratorsinvolvedinthehiringprocess,nolaterthanMonday,May1st.Theletter
shouldbecirculatedamongallSociologyfacultyandmajors/minors.Theletterwillsummarizeouragreementsand
setaprecedentforaSociologyDepartmentthatisreflectiveofourincreasinglydiversestudentbody.Thisletter
shall:

1. Providetherationaleforthishiringdecisiontopreventsimilarrecurrences.Inordertoformulatea
concreteplanfortheroleofstudentsincurrentandfuturehiringdecisionswithintheSociology
Department,wearerequestingaformalletterrecognizingtheflawedprocessofhiringGoffmanandhow
fromnowon,studentinvolvementwillbecentraltosuchdecisions.Weaskthatthefacultycommittee
exercisegreatertransparencybyexplicitlydetailingthehiringprocedureandaddressingthelackof
communicationwithstudentsregardingthefacultyopeningandpotentialcandidates.Sincefacultyarein
positionstoinfluenceandinspirethestudentbody,itisveryimportantthatstudentsaremadeawareofand
involvedinhiringpracticesthatdirectlyimpactourcollegeexperiences.

2. Addresstheinauthenticcommitmenttofacultyandstudentdiversity.In2015,theClaremont
CollegesreceivedaonemilliondollargrantfromtheMellonMaysFoundation.InaTSLarticle,Dean
Feldblumstates,thefocusofMMUFistofosterdiversityinU.S.collegesanduniversities.Inasimilar
article,PresidentOxtobystates,Americasdemographicsarechangingrapidly,anditsmoreimportant
thaneverforcollegestudentstolearnfromfacultymemberswhosharetheirbackgroundsandunderstand
theirpersonalstories.WecondemntheCollegeforcelebratingfacultydiversityintheory,butfailingto
followthroughinpractice.Furthermore,PomonaCollegeseffortstopartnerwithorganizationssuchasthe
PosseFoundationandQuestBridgeallowstheinstitutionaccesstoapplicationsfromstudentsofcolor,
low-income,first-generation,andothermarginalizedstudents.However,oncestudentsmatriculate,the
institutiondoesnotadequatelysupporttheirneeds.Studentandfacultydiversitymustgohand-in-hand.
Thus,wedemandthattheSociologyDepartmentoutlineactionablestepstoincreasefacultydiversityand
cultivatesustainableacademicsupportforthesestudents.

Conclusion
ThisegregioushiredoesnotoccurinisolationfromothereventshappeningattheClaremontColleges,acrossthe
nation,andaroundtheworld.WemoveinsolidaritywiththestudentorganizersatHarveyMuddCollege,Scripps
College,ClaremontMcKennaCollege,PitzerCollege,andPomonaCollegewhoareworkingtomakethese
campusesliveablebothinsideandoutsidetheclassroom.Thisinstanceofanti-Blacknessisinexcusableanddirectly
contradictstheCollegesmissionofdiversityandinclusion.

Recently,studentofcolororganizersacrosstheClaremontCollegeshavemovedtoincreasevisibilityaroundthe
waysinwhichtheseinstitutionsperpetuatesystemicoppression.Fromthelackofmentalhealthresourcesfor
marginalizedstudentsafterthedeathsoftwostudentsofcolorthissemester,totheexploitationofRAsatPomona
andScripps,tothepromotionofanti-BlackdiscourseatClaremontMcKenna,theClaremontCollegescontinueto
exhibitanappallingdisregardforthelivesandexperiencesofstudentsofcolor.ThehiringofAliceGoffmanfits
withinthispattern,andisjustonemoreexampleofhowtheneedsofstudentsofcolorconstantlygounaddressed,
leadingtofurtherexploitationofourlaborwhenwemustinevitablyadvocateforourselvesandholdthese
institutionsaccountabletimeaftertime.

Withinthecontextofrecenteventsoncampusandnationwide,weurgentlyfeeltheneedforstudentsofcolortobe
safeandsupported,andtobecriticalofthewaystheClaremontCollegesperpetuateoppressionagainststudentsof
colorandmembersofourcommunitieswhoexistoutsidetheseelite,exclusionaryinstitutions.ThehiringofAlice
Goffmanisantitheticaltothesegoalsofsupportingstudentsofcolorandholdinginstitutionsofhighereducation
accountablefortheviolencetheyenactonmarginalizedgroupsinwaysthatareoftenrenderedinvisible.Weknow
thisbecauseourlivedexperiencesandourstudiesinclasseswithwomenofcolorfacultyhavetaughtusso.We
recognizethewaytheseinstitutionsoperateasmicrocosmsofthebroadersociety,andwiththeknowledgethatall
oppressionisconnected,wewillcontinuetopushPomonaCollegeandthe5Cstodobetter.

WeexpecttheSociologyfacultyandadministrationtoaddressthedemandsthathavebeenpresentedaboveina
timelymanner.ShouldwenotreceivearesponsetoourdemandsbyTuesday,April25,2017at5PM,wewill
takedirectaction.

Sincerely,

[128namesredactedforindividualsafetyinrecognitionoftheviolenceinflictedoncommunitiesofcolorbyvarious
publications,namelytheClaremontIndependent]