Morehouse is an all-male, historically black college, so some people are questioning this hire. Isn’t diversity still the most important thing?
Inside Higher Ed reports:
An Off-Brand HireA newly hired administrator at Morehouse College has sparked divisions and debate among alumni about who can represent the institution. Some alumni and students worry the new administrator, who will oversee marketing and recruitment at the Atlanta institution, is underqualified and question whether a white woman should have been chosen as the face of an all-male, majority Black college over Black male candidates. Others have argued she needs to be given a chance.Paula Resley started working as Morehouse’s chief brand officer and vice president of strategic communications, marketing and admissions earlier this month. Her job is to direct “brand and messaging strategy as well as targeted recruitment and digital engagement,” according to a news release from the college. Her résumé is replete with marketing experience, mostly in the health-care industry; she’s never held a position in higher ed. Her most recent role was as senior director of marketing for the U.S., Latin America and Canada at Carestream Dental, a dental imaging and software company based in Atlanta.“Paula’s experience and expertise, particularly in digital engagement, will help Morehouse continue to expand its international visibility and amplify its crucial voice,” Morehouse’s president, David A. Thomas, said in the release.The announcement was followed by an outpouring of reaction on social media—and calls and emails to the college—from alumni questioning the decision. Resley replied to some of the negative comments on LinkedIn, defending herself and asserting her commitment to stay in the job, but she later deleted her responses. Campus leaders, including Resley, declined to comment through a spokesperson on the controversy surrounding the hire.One alumnus called the hiring decision an “INSULT to the legacy of Morehouse and a blow to the Brand” in a thread on LinkedIn.“The HEAVY emphasis on women is an attack on male leadership and not appropriate for Morehouse,” he wrote. “Just wondering how long before Morehouse ceases to recognize itself. Six months?
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