Yale African American Studies Program Receives Department Status, More Money

Yale's governing body voted nearly unanimously to grant the school's African and African American studies program the status of a full-fledged academic department this week.

Just two weeks ago, the program's chair, Hazel V. Carby, resigned, saying Yale President Richard Levin had disparaged the program by comparing it unfavorably with Harvard's Afro-American studies department. She also said Yale's refusal to recognize the program as a department was a factor in her decision to resign.

But after meeting with Levin and other Yale officials, Carby rescinded her resignation late last week. And days later, the Yale Corporation met to consider a proposal to up the program's status.

As a department, administrators can now tenure faculty exclusively within the field of African and African American studies. The department will also receive more money and university support for its initiatives.

Most course offerings in African and African American studies are currently cross-listed in Yale's Department of American Studies.

Harvard, Cornell and most other Ivy League universities have full time departments specializing in Afro-American studies, though only some grant degrees on all levels of study.

Henry Louis "Skip" Gates, the chair of Harvard's Department of Afro-American Studies, is a Yale graduate and credits the university with shaping his views on the intersection of race and society.

Carby and other Yale officials were not available for comment.

--Marc J. Ambinder