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The Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators Association at Michigan State University has written a letter to the college's president opposing the selection of Teresa Woodruff as provost. The association said the selection was "appalling" and "a travesty."
The association applauded Woodruff's credentials as a scholar. If she were selected to be an endowed chair or distinguished professor, the letter said, the association would welcome her, but she is not right for the position of provost.
"To those of us seeking a just, inclusive, and equitable campus, this appointment is a misjudgment of what Michigan State University (MSU) needs now, given the abysmal state of race relations both on campus and in the nation," the letter said. "We need a person who has stellar credentials, is a healer, and has the lived experience of diversity in a broad sense, not simply a traditional scholar."
President Samuel Stanley, Jr. picked Woodruff over two other candidates, identified as "outstanding and highly qualified scholars who are persons of color" by the association in its letter. The two other candidates, both black, are currently deans at Rutgers University and the University of Houston, the Lansing State Journal has reported. The association voiced its concerns during the interview process, the letter said.
Woodruff is currently dean of the Graduate School at Northwestern University. She is an expert in ovarian biology.
"My leadership style is one of inclusiveness," Woodruff told the Lansing State Journal via email. "I am open to meeting with any group(s) who have concerns and that will not change once I come to Michigan State University. I welcome the opportunity to meet with the BFSAA to discuss their ideas, concerns and priorities. President Stanley has made clear the importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at MSU, and that priority aligns with my values and goals as well."
"We appreciate BFSAA sharing their concerns with us and we value the organization’s willingness to keep an open mind and work with our new provost," an MSU spokesperson told the Lansing State Journal. "The issues of diversity, equity and inclusion are of paramount concern to Michigan State.
"At the conclusion of the search process, President Stanley had to weigh the input and feedback from the search committee and members of our campus community who had an opportunity to participate. His final decision was made based on this feedback and who he believed was the best person suited for this position at this time at Michigan State."
The association ended its letter saying that it will work with Woodruff, but it finds her appointment disappointing.
