I. Introduction

NAME Rodney D. Coates

Rank Professor

Department Global and Intercultural Studies

2022 Annual Activity Report (Winter 2023-Fall 2023)

I am honored to be in my 30^th year at Miami University. During this period, I have worked my way through the ranks from an untenured Assistant Professor to tenured Full Professor and from Director of Black World Studies to Coordinator of Black World Studies. I continue to be actively engaged as a teacher and scholar, rendering service at multiple levels to include national, state/local, University, division, department, program, and students. While these areas can be distinguished for review purposes, they are more cyclical than linear. This means, at least for me, that all levels of engagement dynamically interact and inform each other. Thus, my pedagogy informs my scholarship and service, as my service informs my scholarship and pedagogy, and my scholarship informs my pedagogy and service. Mutually interacting and reinforcing these realms help keep me focused and remain critically engaged.

Critical engagement for me involves more than writing and publishing, more than conducting class and attending meetings, and more than volunteering and being seen. Critical engagement, in my estimation, involves constantly pushing the boundaries, both mine and the discipline(s) that I engage, my students and my peers, and the various communities in which I serve. I believe that knowledge is constantly evolving, and my work must consequently reflect this evolution. This has meant that over the years, for example, my scholarly interests have evolved from race and ethnic relations to intersectionality and critical race and ethnic studies. My pedagogical style has evolved from being primarily lecture and exam driven, to discussion and enquiry driven. And my service has evolved from volunteering, manuscript reviewer and mentoring to sitting on multiple editorial boards, serving as associate editors, program development, and funding. I have authored and coauthored 13 books and special journal issues; 29 refereed articles, 23 book chapters, numerous editorials, commentaries, and poems.

Miami prides itself in being student centered, where its faculty are teacher-scholars. Throughout my time here, I have striven to distinguish myself in this regard. For not only have I earned awards from colleagues and students at Miami, as well as from various professional associations, but also my publications clearly demonstrate a commitment to the teacher-scholar model. For example, in 2018 I received the Presidential Inclusive Excellence Award. This award recognized leadership, advocacy, and involvement in promoting diversity at Miami. During that same year, I was nominated and was a finalist in the Distinguished Professor Award. In 2014, I received the Miami University’s Distinguished Teaching Award, which “recognizes creative, innovative, and engaging teaching methods at the undergraduate level. This award is conferred upon faculty members whose achievement unequivocally merit recognition for excellence in teaching.” Also, in 2014, I received the Founders Award for Scholarship and Service from the American Sociological Association. This award, established in 2007, recognizes career excellence in scholarship as well as in professional and/or community services. It defines scholarship “in terms of substantive academic (theoretical, empirical or applied) contributions.” I am a recipient of the 2007 Joseph S. Hines Award for Lifetime Scholarship presented by the Association of Black Sociologists. This award honors members of ABS “who have worked over a lifetime career to achieve two goals: to enhance the status of theory and research specifically related to the social condition of African Americans and to recognize the contribution of the individual to the support and growth of the ABS as an institution and an activist network of scholars and academicians. The award recognizes individuals who have built on a rich history of African American scholarship and, at the same time, have distinguished themselves as unique contributors to some aspect of African-American social organization and structure.” Finally, in 2022 I was awarded the Joseph B. Gittler Award by the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP). The award recognizes Coates’ dedication to the SSSP and scholar activism, and his “constant presence in the communities — both local and now virtual — offering (his) time, ideas, and support of education and social justice.” Nominators said the workshops he provides on microaggressions in local schools, churches and community organizations have been invaluable for marginalized communities. He was also recognized for his many publications and academic honors, and significant mentoring work with students, junior colleagues, and scholars across the country.

For the 8 ears I have coordinated and facilitated a unique partnership between Miami University and Cincinnati Public Schools. This partnership has resulted in a total of 56 underrepresented students being admitted into Miami University on full scholarships. As the mentor to these fantastic students, I am proud of the fact that they have bucked the trends and have maintained an average G.P.A. of 3.25. In conjunction to this partnership, for the past 2 years, each summer Miami has hosted a summer educational camp for 65 and 75 youths, respectively for 2022 and 2023, from the grades of 7-9. This summer camp, featuring some of Miami finest scholars, has involved a 4-day, 3 night all-inclusive experience across every academic division.

There is yet another form of scholarly engagement, known as Public scholarship, in which I have also ventured. I operate 7 different listservs and 4 FB pages that cater to professionals in a variety of fields. For example, I operate ABSDISCOURSE listserv for those associated with and do work aligned with the Association of Black Sociologists, (over 300 members, both international and abroad), the Human Rights Listserv (over 80 human rights scholars, both international and abroad) and Face book pages –African Americans in Higher Education (7,000 members) and Human Rights (80 + members). These social media sites serve not only as a key transmittal device for issues, papers, discussions but also mentoring of young and rising scholars in the field of sociology, critical race and ethnic relations, pedagogy, and diversity and inclusion. I, as well as other scholars, use these to develop and interrogate new ideas in the various fields, network, and to advance policy, political processes, and various institutions.

Lastly, I have a continuous history of scholarly activity spanning three decades. This achievement attests not only to my scholarly achievements, but also reflects continued scholarly productivity. My most recent book, The Matrix of Race: Social Construction, Intersectionality and Inequality (2^nd ed , 2022). Currently, it has sold more than 5,000 copies nationally and internationally. We are now working on the 3^rd edition that is slated to come out in 2026.

II. Teaching and Academic Advising

A. Classroom Teaching:

1. Undergraduate and Graduate Courses Taught

· course number, title, and number of credit hours

· Spring 2022-23

CRE 151 (21 students) 3 cr

WST 301A (22 students) 3cr

Summer 2022-23

CRE 151 (24 students) 3cr

Fall 2023-24

CRE 151 (27 students) 3cr

CRE 287 (12 Students) 3 cr

· official course enrollment (see above)

· percentage of course you taught based on proportion of total student contact hours in course

o 100 %

· brief explanation of your role, if not solely responsible for course, including TA supervision, course management, team teaching, etc.

For all but one course -WST 301A, I was solely responsible for all aspects of this course. For the WST 301A I shared teaching, grading, and course development equally with my colleague.

· Do not include in this list independent studies, credit workshops, continuing education, or other non-credit courses.

2. Evaluation of Teaching

· Paste Excel Tables from CollegeNET;

B. One-on-one/Small Group Teaching, Independent Studies, Directed Research

· Independent studies, directed studies, tutorials, practicum, or other major projects and honors projects

CRE: 371 Cradle to Prison Pipeline (3 cr)

D. Development of Pedagogical Methods and Course Delivery

Give specific examples of new teaching methods, materials, or course delivery mechanisms (e.g., on-line or hybrid) you developed.

E. Curriculum Development

Give specific examples of your involvement in curriculum development and/or assessment (e.g., your role in the design and implementation of new or revised courses; creation of new programs; your role in assessment data collection or analysis and how it was used to document or improve student learning).

Enhanced the design of CRE 151 to accommodate DEI certification from Miami Plan. Taught for the first time this fall.

List and describe efforts to enhance diversity or cultural awareness in courses you teach. Include descriptions of new course materials and/or approaches.

.

G. Academic Advising

Describe specific responsibilities in advising. Identify number and level of advisees seen on a regular basis. Include an estimate of the approximate time spent per week. If applicable provide a summary of advising evaluations. Include a description of any advisor training you have received.

I advise CRE majors and minors which average about 3-5 each semester. I also advise and mentor the Cinci Scholars which are 45 underrepresented students that attend Miami. These students are across every division on campus. This past year I organized and developed a series of programs, with invited alums, that aimed to increase the overall academic performance of students. I noticed that the moto of many of our students is that the is “get a c, get a degree”. I interpret this as normalizing mediocrity. To combat this, and recognizing who these students were, I organized a series of sessions entitled “Normalizing Excellence by celebrating Black Success”. Four talented and highly successful Black Alums from across the university were invited to come back to Miami and describe their journey since graduation. These sessions were a hit, and I plan on doing more in the future.

H. Professional Development in teaching and advising

Describe and reflect on previous activities and strategies used, as well as plans for the future, to develop and maintain effective teaching and academic advising skills.

I am a scholar teacher. I consistently monitor the course evaluations to see where issues are and how to modify the course to make the course more relevant.

By being relevant, consistently striving to encourage students to do more than regurgitate but develop critical thinking skills. I am constantly revising my courses based upon student evaluations. For example: Students consistently stress out and negatively evaluate my courses regarding the amount of work that is assigned. Yet, they also consistently discuss how much they have learned. I have taken these seriously and have totally revamped my courses therefore. Last semester the group assignment, regarding CRT and conservatives’ responses. Here is the assignment:

Group Project

Group Project Report (20 % of grade): The goal of this assignment, due November 20, is to analyze and apply CRE core readings, concepts, research, and class discussions to critiques and arguments against CRT. You will be divided into groups of three to four members.
Your group's task will be to use concepts from the course to identify, analyze, and evaluate the critiques of CRT offered by specific groups/individuals/state laws. Your group will choose one of the following critiques. Then, you will determine if these critiques are valid or not.
The Critical Race Theory Explainer Every White Person Should Read (newsone.comLinks to an external site.)
Critical Race Theory, the New Intolerance, and Its Grip on America | https://lnkd.in/ge_myqCvLinks to an external site.

• Report guidelines: The report should answer the following questions, using class readings, class discussions, announcements, and research support each answer:
1) What is your definition of CRT?
2) What are the major issues raised in the Critiques of CRT (4 each article must be identified)?
3) What major problems are associated with these issues?
4) What support for these major issues can you find through your analysis of class readings, discussions, announcements, and research on CRT? In what ways does the material from this class rebuff these problems and issues?

5) What specific conclusions do you arrive at regarding the efficacy or problems of CRT as presented in this class?
6) Based on your findings: "What changes would improve this course?"
7) What are the potential barriers, obstacles, and challenges to following your recommendations?
8) Based on your findings: "What do you think about continuing this course?"
The report should be double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1" margins.
The minimum length is 24 pages. You should include a one-page executive summary before the introduction. You can use specific references to course readings and/or lectures in the report to add credence to your evaluation and recommendations.

Based upon the feedback from these group assignments, I am already reprogramming the course. Oh, the students did not agree with the negative portrayal CRE but did point to the excessive amount of work done.

Each semester I also seriously consider the readings. Last year I used a combination of Chapters from my Book the Matrix of Race, and research/news articles that provided an assortment of research and observations regarding diverse groups across the U.S. and globe. This semester, based upon the most recent student evaluations I have again transformed the classes to place the student, their identities, and their families past more central to the course and its content. More on this next semester.

· Describe how the quality of your teaching has been evaluated (e.g., student

III. Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement

A. Publications, Presentations, etc.

Provide a chronological listing of publications, papers, exhibitions, performances, and other creative or scholarly. Be sure citations are complete and that authorship and the ordering of authors is as listed on the publication or work. Indicate whether the work was refereed or peer reviewed. Indicate the status of the work (e.g., in review, in press, published). Indicate the quality of the publication by noting the impact rating and/or acceptance rate. Describe your contribution to the research or scholarly work including, but not limited to, how authors/contributors are listed on the publication or work and the nature of your contribution. Indicate which authors are Miami University undergraduate or graduate students. Include as separate categories:

1) 4 Articles published by the conversation that was republished in multiple outlets around the country. The History of Silencing Black Lawmakers in the U.S. (September 7, 2023)

2) Florida’s Academic Standards Distort the Contributions that Enslaved Africans Made to American Society (August 16, 2023)

3) White men have controlled whether or not Black women had Babies through history (September 16, 2023)

4) What the Supreme Court Racial Gerrymandering Decision Means For black Voters in Alabama (June 11)

Book Chapters

David Fasenfest -Critical Evaluation of a Critical Scholar in

Interrogating the future: Essays in Honor of David Fasenfest edited by Raju Das and Tom Brass. (2024 Forthcoming, Brill University Press)

Peer Reviewed Articles:

Covert Racism within Institutional Settings Mondi Migranti (Italy),(Forthcoming Issue 2024/1)

Critical Race Theory, Neoliberalism, and the Illiberal University, Journal of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Forthcoming 2024, Vol 1, No. 1.

Book

Critical Race Theory and the Search for Truth, Bristal University Press (Forthcoming Fall, 2024)

· presentations at meetings of learned societies.

The papers and chapters from the book –

Othering – 2023 Annual Meetings of Association of Black Sociologists - (Philadelphia)

Critical Race and the Search for Truth – 2023 Annual Meetings of the American Sociological Association, (Philadelphia)

Covert Racism within Institutional Settings 2023 Annual Meetings of the Society for the Study of Social Problems (Philadelphia)

B. Editorships

C. Sponsored Research and Scholarly Activities

D. Research and Scholarship Agenda

Briefly describe your research agenda for the next three (3) to five (5) years.

Well, this year there are the publications listed above. SAGE has commissioned me and my coauthors to revise The Matrix of Race -note this is the 3^rd edition. It is slated to be complete in summer 2025.

Once this is complete, I will start on a new book called “A place Called Liberty. That examines how freedom and justice are aspects of authenticity that define not only success but also the road that Blacks and other marginalized people have taken. I will trace my own journey in academia,

and the strange road to real freedom (where passion, excellence, and sometimes breaking the rules) defines who and what I am. Never able to rely upon others to promote my work, I have become a public sociologist -who shines the spotlight on my own accomplishments. Never a dull moment, as even now, attacks from the conservatives and sometimes my own colleagues -continually push me to higher levels of excellence. It has indeed been a journey, and a place that has ultimately led to Liberty.

E. Professional Development Plan for research and scholarship

Describe and reflect on previous activities and strategies used, as well as plans for the future, to develop and maintain a productive research and scholarship program.

I have received an Altman Faculty Schols appointment from the Humanities Center. I will be working on:

The specific project I would like to be involved in would be reimagining how humanities can be transformed to better serve current students' needs. This transformation would entail developing specific courses critical to enhancing the humanities and programs in Business, Engineering, Computing, and the Sciences. For example, ethics, History, social policy, and diversity are critical to success in each professional program. What would a sequence of Humanities courses in each of these essential areas for each of the major divisions on campus look like?

Course Proposal:

A specific course example I would like to develop would be the History of business within the

U.S. or the diverse business/corporate strategies. The former would apply historical analysis of

how corporations and developed companies in the U.S. How do these reflect the different

periods, constraints, and opportunities? How have political, economic, global, and social changes led to changes in corporate identities, practices, and/or realities? Alternatively, as U.S. population dynamics have changed, with the difference in ethnic, gendered, and racial groups, so have the various business/corporate realities. What do these changes look like, how have they impacted the corporate culture, and what do they suggest for the future of corporations in

the U.S. and globally?

I will continue to write every day, and use my classes to generate both excitement, questions, and challenges. One thing for sure, there has never, nor will there ever be a shortage of material to question, answers to find, and writing to be done.

IV. Service

Service

To the University

Member Faculty Senate

Served on the Athletic Subcommittee ge

Academic Coordinator/Mentor/Advisor of Miami Scholars Program

Service to Department

CRE Advisor

Serve on P and T committee.

CRE program review and development

Completed the Paperwork for Revamping of CRE Major to become DEI minor.

Revised and Submitted paperwork for CRE 151 to be certified as DEI by Miami Plan.

To the Profession

Professional Service (selected)

Associated Editor and Editorial Board Member Critical Sociology, 2006-Present

Editorial Board Race, Class and Gender, 2001-Present

Editorial Board American Behavioral Scientists, 2005-present.

C. Service to Students

1. Adviser to student groups and organizations.

Advisor to Kappa Alpha Psi (2 hours a week)

Advisor and mentor to Cinci Scholars (2 hours per week)

2. Assisting students in gaining admission to graduate or professional schools or gaining employment

Recommendation letters (wrote a total of 12 this past year)

D. Student Recruitment and Retention

1. Identify time and effort spent in new student recruitment, including development of materials, phone and email contact, on-campus meetings, portfolio review, auditions, etc.

Cincinatti Scholars Program (annually I work with advising to recruit about 4-10 students)

2. Describe activities or efforts related to retention of students or student success.

o See CInci scholars above

3. Describe special activities related to student recruitment contributing to the diversity of the student body.

o See Cinci scholars above and Pipeline -STEM Summer camp.

E. Community Engagement (including Consulting)

1. Collaborative efforts with schools, industry, or civic agencies.

o CPS partnership (cinci scholars and STEM summer camp)

2. Consulting with private or public, profit or non-profit organizations where your expertise has enhanced the efficiency or effectiveness of the organization served.

o National Underground Railroad -Planning committee

3. 4. Efforts to make research understandable and usable in specific professional and applied settings, including any research presentations or workshops in non-academic contexts.

o See publications above.

5. Public scholarship, such as blog posts related to your expertise, newspaper op-eds, media interviews (radio, television, magazine), etc.