This Week in Academia

Accusations of racism. Stem cell research controversy. A hunger strike. Read all about it. In the blogosphere, here are some interesting posts at Blackademics and Three Bulls! and TigerHawk.

If the purpose is to get tenure, this will be a tough case to sell. Fewer than half of those who come up for tenure at MIT get it. The set of people coming up for tenure as already been thinned by attrition during the intervening time period. Being denied tenure there is not so unusual, making it harder to point to Sherley's race as a key factor. One of the articles I read on this issue noted that Sherley has gotten big grants and has received other offers of employment. So I think it is reasonable to infer that he has some other purpose in mind. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.