Black SMU professor gains tenure support - Southern Methodist University; Ndiva Kofele-Kale - Brief Article

Jet, Feb 8, 1993

The president of Southern Methodist University recently overruled the university's provost decision by recommending that a Black law school professor be granted tenure.

The case of Ndiva Kofele-Kale had raised complaints of racism from students and faculty last fall when the provost rejected the 46-year-old associate professor for tenure despite the recommendation of the law school faculty. The provost said Mr. Kofele-Kale's portfolio was lacking.

Mr. Kofele-Kale appealed in mid-January to A. Kenneth Pye, the university's president, who later recommended that the professor be granted tenure.

The board of trustees is scheduled to meet March 5 and will decide the fate of the Cameroonborn professor. It can reject tenure recommendations, but school officials say it has never been done.