The Division of Academic Affairs announced the establishment of the Bayard Rustin Fellowship Program, a multi-year fellowship program aimed toward diversifying the faculty body and creating structural change to the College's academic practices using an equity lens.
"The fellowship, named in honor of Bayard Rustin, a civil rights leader, activist, writer, Quaker, and pacifist, is an incredible opportunity for our community to act on the values of our Quaker founders, articulated by our President in the strategic plan, and specifically reinforced by the Racial Justice and Equity Action Plan," said Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Kay Sanders.
The initiative for the first round in Fall 2021 supports the call by Whittier's Black student body to represent their culture and experiences in the academic culture. The work of these fellows, in conjunction with College-wide efforts, will support the ongoing development of an integrated, rich, and complex representation of the African-American/Black experience at Whittier College.
The Bayard Rustin Fellowship program contains two components: the hiring of an advanced graduate student or recently minted Ph.D. recipient; and a commitment by the department housing the fellow to engage, long-term, in department-level equity justice reforms. The fellowships are renewable for a maximum term of two years and fellows are eligible to apply for tenure-track positions pending budget approval.
The first round of the Bayard Rustin fellowship program will occur fall, 2021 and will include the hiring of a teaching fellow within the English Department and a research fellow within Academic Affairs whose scholarship aligns with the equity justice mission of the College and the intents of the Racial Justice and Equity Action Plan created by executive leadership in 2020. The Rustin Fellowship is a multi-year program and subsequent positions will include an open call.
