First Name
Antija
Last Name
Allen
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City
State
Email
amm2214@tc.columbia.edu
Twitter Handle
About
Antija M. Allen is the Director of the Pellissippi Academic Center for Excellence (PACE) and a tenured Associate Professor of Psychology with two decades of experience as an educator. She was the 2021-2022 recipient of the Roger Crowe Excellence in Teaching award and 2022-2023 Staff Excellence award. Allen’s recent publication is a book entitled, “We’re Not OK: Black Faculty Experiences and Higher Education Strategies” (Cambridge University Press), which was selected as an Outstanding Academic Title of 2023 by Choice (a division of the American Library Association). We’re Not OK was recommended by Inside Higher Ed, Teaching in higher ed, and several others. In October 2023, the book was reimagined as a podcast titled We're Not OK: A Community of Healing, where Antija and her co-host Justin Stewart speak with guests from higher education as well as other industries such as tech, performing arts, and politics. Allen earned her BA in Psychology from Neumann University and MA in Psychology from Pepperdine University. In 2022 Antija returned to Columbia University Teachers College, where she earned her Ed.D. in Adult Learning & Leadership, to teach as an Adjunct Professor in their Summer Principals Academy, educating aspiring school leaders.
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Work Sample 1 Description
We're Not Ok: Black Faculty Experiences and Higher Education Strategies; Antija M. Allen (Editor) & Justin T. Stewart (Editor)
In the United States, only 6% of the 1.5 million faculty in degree-granting postsecondary institutions is Black. Research shows that, while many institutions tout the idea of diversity recruitment, not much progress has been made to diversify faculty ranks, especially at research-intensive institutions. We're Not Ok shares the experiences of Black faculty to take the reader on a journey, from the obstacles of landing a full-time faculty position through the unique struggles of being a Black educator at a predominantly white institution, along with how these deterrents impact inclusion, retention, and mental health. The book provides practical strategies and recommendations for graduate students, faculty, staff, and administrators, along with changemakers, to make strides in diversity, equity, and inclusion. More than a presentation of statistics and anecdotes, it is the start of a dialogue with the intent of ushering actual change that can benefit Black faculty, their students, and their institutions.
In the United States, only 6% of the 1.5 million faculty in degree-granting postsecondary institutions is Black. Research shows that, while many institutions tout the idea of diversity recruitment, not much progress has been made to diversify faculty ranks, especially at research-intensive institutions. We're Not Ok shares the experiences of Black faculty to take the reader on a journey, from the obstacles of landing a full-time faculty position through the unique struggles of being a Black educator at a predominantly white institution, along with how these deterrents impact inclusion, retention, and mental health. The book provides practical strategies and recommendations for graduate students, faculty, staff, and administrators, along with changemakers, to make strides in diversity, equity, and inclusion. More than a presentation of statistics and anecdotes, it is the start of a dialogue with the intent of ushering actual change that can benefit Black faculty, their students, and their institutions.
Work Sample 2 Description
Academic Freedom in Classroom Discussions; Antija Allen, Jason L. James, Jr, Anthony G. James
Abstract: Discussion is a staple in an academic classroom and remains at the apex of importance regarding student learning. It offers students an opportunity to have discourse around course material, other scholarly material, life experiences, etc. Discussion can lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and provide students and faculty exposure to perspectives that may challenge, validate, or reframe existing perspectives. Such discourse can also shatter existing perspectives and create opportunities for the development of new ones. The central role of faculty is to develop topics to be discussed and facilitate said discussions. Topics perceived as controversial (e.g., politics, human sexuality, religion, etc.) tend to produce the most lively and valuable discussions. Unfortunately, fears of retribution for engaging in such topics have commonly caused faculty to shy away from having such difficult dialogues. These fears persist even though the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure position is to allow professors the opportunity to discuss challenging topics in the classroom (AAUP, n.d.). The current chapter addresses the challenge of protecting faculty who need the support of academic freedom in their classroom discussions. The authors approach this problem by discussing factors that leave faculty hesitant to engage in provocative classroom discussions such as the institution’s culture, faculty characteristics, rights of the faculty, and student population. Finally, the authors conclude with practical implications for how faculty hesitancy has the consequence of not promoting the critical thinking skills of students, which are required for today’s students who will become and who are already working professionals.
Abstract: Discussion is a staple in an academic classroom and remains at the apex of importance regarding student learning. It offers students an opportunity to have discourse around course material, other scholarly material, life experiences, etc. Discussion can lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and provide students and faculty exposure to perspectives that may challenge, validate, or reframe existing perspectives. Such discourse can also shatter existing perspectives and create opportunities for the development of new ones. The central role of faculty is to develop topics to be discussed and facilitate said discussions. Topics perceived as controversial (e.g., politics, human sexuality, religion, etc.) tend to produce the most lively and valuable discussions. Unfortunately, fears of retribution for engaging in such topics have commonly caused faculty to shy away from having such difficult dialogues. These fears persist even though the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure position is to allow professors the opportunity to discuss challenging topics in the classroom (AAUP, n.d.). The current chapter addresses the challenge of protecting faculty who need the support of academic freedom in their classroom discussions. The authors approach this problem by discussing factors that leave faculty hesitant to engage in provocative classroom discussions such as the institution’s culture, faculty characteristics, rights of the faculty, and student population. Finally, the authors conclude with practical implications for how faculty hesitancy has the consequence of not promoting the critical thinking skills of students, which are required for today’s students who will become and who are already working professionals.
Work Sample 2
Work Sample 3 Description
We're Not OK: A Community of Healing Podcast; By Antija Allen and Justin Stewart; Join Dr. Antija Allen and Justin T. Stewart, world renowned speakers and co-editors of the bestselling book and outstanding academic title of 2023, We're Not OK: Black Faculty Experiences and Higher Education Strategies, for their podcast where they deliver captivating conversations with amazing individuals from various industries. Guests will focus on topics such as diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, social justice, mental health, and current events.
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