Adding that the letter and Tucker meeting were "only starting points," Terry said in an email that the Dartmouth NAACP chapter will continue to push for answers to "unanswered" questions.
"I don't concede that this is over," Terry said. "I think this conversation has left us with even more questions than we came in here with."
The discussion, led by Collis Center director Eric Ramsey and director of religious and spiritual life Nancy Vogele, covered a number of topics, ranging from Tengatenga's affiliation with the Malawi Council of Churches to the search committee's vetting process.
Tengatenga released a statement on Thursday expressing his support for same-sex marriage and LGBT equality, after concerns were raised within the Dartmouth community regarding his previous statements on homosexuality.
In 2012, the Malawi Council of Churches, which Tengatenga once chaired, pressured the Malawi government to uphold the criminalization of homosexuality, claiming the practice went against their Christian values.
Terry, who compared the appointment to hiring someone who had previously made anti-Semitic comments as chair of the Jewish studies department, asked whether Tengatenga rejects these statements. He said the College should not support an individual who "stands by the sidelines" on moral issues.
"These are questions that should have been asked," he said. "I shouldn't have to Google this and bring this up."
Government professor and search committee member Russell Muirhead said he could not answer concerns on Tengatenga's behalf. He added that he did not research the Malawi Council's current publications or ask if Tengatenga would publicly repudiate their content.
Tengatenga could not lead on issues of sexuality under the constraints of a socially conservative community, Muirhead said.
He said Tengatenga combatted corruption within Malawi's government and championed equal distribution of medical resources to save those suffering from remediable diseases.
Interim Provost Martin Wybourne said Tengatenga's "evolution" in thought convinced him to support the appointment, but that he will not support discrimination or intolerance on campus.
"Tengatenga's actions have got to live up to his words," Wybourne said.
In response to student concerns, Wybourne said the administration may consider hosting a Skype session during which students could talk to Tengatenga. Before assuming the position, Tengatenga may also return to campus for a "listening tour."
Joseph Miller '14 said the search committee should have made greater efforts to solicit student feedback after Tengatenga's visit to campus in the spring.
He said previous search committees, like the 2012 search to replace former LGBT advisor Pam Misener, engaged students directly.
"Where was the opportunity given to students to voice their opinions on the matter?" Miller said.
Though the search committee does not design the process, Muirhead said he thinks members "could have done more" to communicate with the student body.
Spanish and Portuguese professor Rebecca Biron said the controversy arose due to the moralistic tone in the College's press release regarding the appointment.
"Dartmouth has described the role of the Dean of the Tucker Foundation as the moral spokesperson of the College, which invites everyone to question his values in relation to their own," she said.
Since Dartmouth is a secular institution, the position's role confuses her.
"I don't know if describing the job that way is responsible," Biron said.
Dartmouth NAACP programming director Kevin Gillespie '15 said the administration should have considered the College's complexities before selecting Tengatenga.
"We're an institution that worries immensely about our image," Gillespie said. "It doesn't say as much about him as it does about us."
Terry distinguished personal criticisms from concerns about Tengatenga's ability to hold the position, saying it was risky to bet that Tengatenga would change into "someone he hasn't been" now that he is no longer working in Malawi.
Campus organizations that signed the Dartmouth NAACP letter include the Afro-American Society, Gender Sexuality XYZ, La Alianza Latina, Native Americans at Dartmouth and the Women of Color Collective.
Over 30 faculty and staff also endorsed the letter.
Gillespie is a member of The Dartmouth business staff.
