newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--professortenure1105nov05,0,5824910.story
Newsday.com
Barnard prof under fire for book gets tenure
10:17 AM EST, November 5, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) _ A Barnard College anthropologist whose study of archaeology in
Israel stirred controversy has been granted tenure.
Nadia Abu El-Haj is expected to become an associate professor, the college said
in a statement. While her tenure has been approved, the decision still has to be
presented to the boards of trustees at Barnard and Columbia University to
complete the process.
Abu El-Haj, who has been teaching at the school since 2002, wrote "Facts on the
Ground: Archaeological Practice and Territorial Self-Fashioning in Israeli
Society."
The 2001 book discusses how archaeological discoveries have been used to defend
the country's territorial claims and contributed to the idea of Israel as the
ancient home of the Jewish people.
The professor, who is of Palestinian descent, argues that Israel has used
archaeology to justify its existence in the region, sometimes at the expense of
other nationalities like the Palestinians.
The book earned praise and criticism, with opponents challenging her conclusions
and her research. A Barnard alumnus starting an online petition against the
professor's tenure, while supporters started one in favor of it.
In the statement, Barnard said Abu El-Haj "successfully passed a highly rigorous
review" that involved scholars in her field.
Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press |
|
