To the Editor:
An article in the Feb. 4 issue of The Herald, “Faculty endorses tie to Holy Cross ROTC program,” significantly misrepresented the report to the faculty by the Committee on Faculty Equity and Diversity.
By linking “high expectations for diversity in hiring practices” and “a new element of subjectivity” in decision making, the article conflated separate matters addressed in the report.
The written and verbal report actually stated that CFED looks forward to a closer working relationship with the Office of the President to enhance the diversity of the faculty. On the separate issue of decisions about tenure, promotion and reappointment, the committee reported that it sees a benefit in having precise standards and criteria, and it urges departments to determine whether candidates meet their standards, instead of expecting that they surpass those standards. The question of what constitutes surpassing is ill-defined and adds a higher level of subjectivity to decision-making.
Nancy Jacobs and Chung-I Tan
Associate professor of history and professor of physics
