The Association of College English Teachers of Alabama (ACETA) awarded University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) professor of English Dr. Eric Smith with the 2024 Eugene Current-Garcia Award for Distinction in Literary Scholarship.
The award is given each year to an "outstanding literary scholar" who is from Alabama or has worked and focused on Alabama. Smith's expertise include postcolonial studies, critical theory and cultural studies. He will soon be the director of justice and equity studies.
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UAH has made it clear they want to emphasize DEI policies. The school provides resources through Black Lives Matter and the Equal Justice Initiative to students.
"The United States is no stranger to race-based hate crimes and discrimination," the UAH website states. "Education and intentional allyship are important for us to move toward a culture of acceptance and respect."
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UAH is responsible for policies and procedures such as faculty hiring. The policy on faculty hiring states there must be specific efforts made "to locate women and minority candidates." The pooling process requires a large ratio of applicants to be selected based on their minority status and not on qualifications.
The ACETA has a policy on persons of color stating, "mindful and appreciative of the unique and important contributions of persons of color both to the discipline of English and also to the history and culture of the State of Alabama, the Association of College English Teachers of Alabama actively seeks the fullest possible involvement of persons of color in all its endeavors and enterprises."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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