Elias L. Taylor, Ph.D.
As the founder and immediate past president of
Coppin’s AAUP Chapter and a member of Maryland’s
State Conference Executive Committee, I am profoundly
committed to supporting the three “Doric” pillars of our
Association: academic freedom, shared governance, and
tenure. Too often these academic values are under
“novel” attacks by administrators within institutions of
higher learning or by state legislatures.
At Coppin, an HBCU state institution with rich
historical roots, shared governance is a nominal
statement placed on a web page with minimal, lip
service and practical application. Consider the following
events: Our small but vocal advocacy AAUP Chapter in
consort with the Faculty Senate successfully demanded
via a “no” confidence vote the removal of the University
president who had acted unilaterally in eight instances.
One such incident involved funds, recommended by
faculty for student scholarships, which were instead
dispensed for other budget items. Additionally, the
current administration offered no economic rationale or
academic benefit for “reorganization” and “merging” of
departments. This effort was nothing more than an
activity undertaken to exercise control over academic
matters. Also, a recent litigation between HBCUs and
the State of Maryland, if not successfully implemented,
could lead to arbitrary “administrative” mergers of local
HBI and WI institutions. While such actions at times
have “merit,” the results produced anomie since
meaningful faculty participation was lacking.
If elected, I would bring my organizational
experiences, skills, and convictions to further advance
the principles of the Association in all professoriate
constituencies and collegiate environments. I would
assist the leadership of the Association in formulating
policies that cover new emerging concerns in higher
education. And, I would work for ways to augment the
AAUP membership. I am excited to find innovative
ways to make available electronic lists to each chapter
on a “quarterly” basis. In doing so, chapters could more
often remind member to avoid lapses and pay dues on
time.
I trust this laconic statement can offer a glimpse of
my desire and privilege to serve the Association as an
at-large member.
Thank you for your consideration.
Elias L. Taylor – Biographical Note
Education
B.A. (1962)
English Literature, Sociology-Anthropology
Rollins College, Winter Park Florida
(1962-1963)
University of California, Berkeley
Graduate Department of Sociology
M.A. (1966) and Ph.D. (1974)
Sociology
Graduate Faculty-The New School of Political and Social Research, New York City,
NY
Teaching
Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York
1967-1970
Salisbury State University, Salisbury, Maryland
1970-1974
Goucher College, Towson, Maryland
1974-1979
Towson State University, Towson, Maryland
1974-1979
(Adjunct Associate Professor)
Coppin State University, Baltimore, Maryland
1979-present
Chairperson, Department of Social Sciences 1979-1989
Currently, I serve as a member of the Faculty Research and Development
Committee, Institutional Review Research Board, and a member of the Academic
Strategic Plan Committee. My teaching includes courses in sociology, anthropology,
social psychology, research methods, and statistics. My research interests include
the study of cultural, military, and religious institutions. Past completed work
included an analysis of Greek military revolutions and work on religious minorities
in Greece, published in several international periodicals.