RECOMMENDATION PASSED BY THE MEMBERSHIP ASSEMBLY OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S STUDIES ASSOCIATION, SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2003

RC1-Subject: Letter Supporting Pat Washington’s Appeal of Tenure Denial and Termination

Sponsor: Women of Color Caucus and Anti-White Supremacy Task Force of the National Women’s Studies Association.

RC1: The Women of Color Caucus and the Anti-White Supremacy Task Force urge the general assembly of NWSA to accept this recommendation supporting Pat Washington’s appeal of her tenure denial and termination by San Diego State University. The requested support would be in the form of a letter from the President of NWSA on behalf of the membership to the CSU Chancellor and the President of San Diego State University (with a copy to Washington) expressing concern about questions that have been raised regarding the process used to deny Washington tenure and supporting her appeal. Washington was the only Black full-time faculty member hired in the 33-year history of the Women’s Studies Department at San Diego State University.

When she was hired as an assistant professor in 1996, departmental requirements for tenure consisted of meeting “minimum standards” in teaching, professional growth, and service. Specifically regarding publications, departmental guidelines stipulated: “At least two refereed scholarly publications normally will be necessary for tenure and/or promotion to associate professor.”

At the time Washington applied for tenure and promotion in 2001, she had 5 scholarly-refereed journal articles and 3 peer-reviewed or refereed book articles accepted for publication. Her teaching evaluation averaged 4.1 out of a possible 5. (The department average was 4.26). Washington had also won dozens of awards for student mentoring and university and community service. Yet, she was denied tenure.

To date, Washington’s case has been reviewed and supported by NWSA’s Academic Discrimination Task Force, Sociologists for Women in Society, San Diego Concilio for Higher Education, For Chicano/Chicana Studies Foundation, the Center for Lesbian Rights, California NOW, the NAACP and numerous other civil rights organizations.

Given NWSA’s mission and “shared vision of a world free from sexism and racism” (emphasis added), and other forms of oppression and given Pat Washington’s teaching, publications and service record, as well as her contributions to NWSA, we believe it is both proper and fitting that the president of NWSA send a letter supporting Pat Washington to the CSU Chancellor and the President of San Diego State University.