The Fora: A Higher Education Community

Quote from: spork on May 08, 2024, 12:14:15 PM

Quote from: ciao_yall on May 08, 2024, 07:54:58 AM[. . .]

• Another made a point about making sure to compliment immigrants on their English.

[. . .]

Odd that this qualifies as a "wrong" response. I complimented an immigrant on her English. Now we are married, which makes me more diverse.

Now where did I put my "Gays for Gaza" t-shirt?

Quote"I talk to everyone, CEO to janitor, top to bottom."

That one's my favorite, and I do talk to everyone. As proof I offer the following occurrence: Two security guards, both Black, were chatting near the entrance to a lecture hall, discussing what one could get out of life. As they saw me approaching one said to the other: Dismalist would say "life wasn't meant to be easy". We knew each other that well.

Quote from: ciao_yall on May 08, 2024, 07:54:58 AM[. . .]

• Another made a point about making sure to compliment immigrants on their English.

[. . .]

Odd that this qualifies as a "wrong" response. I complimented an immigrant on her English. Now we are married, which makes me more diverse.

Now where did I put my "Gays for Gaza" t-shirt?

Truthfully, we've had some job candidates who were fairly cringy on a wide-range of topics. But I can see how DEI might bring out the worst of such tendencies.

The ones that boggle my mind are the vacations that include the entire first week of the semester. Given that our schedules are posted 2 years in advance- they really should know when the semester stats.

QuoteTrying to remember specifics.

• One just wrote "I have no idea what to say here."
• Another made a point about making sure to compliment immigrants on their English.
• "I talk to everyone, CEO to janitor, top to bottom."

QuoteI cringe just reading that middle one now....

Maybe 20 years ago my U at that time was trying to get faculty to engage with diversity issues and a newsletter touted the successes so far. A faculty member in STEM wrote that he was trying to become more knowledgeable about student culture and so he had assigned math problems involving the number of tacos. We hoped it was a joke but the diversity office seemed to think it was real.   

Quote from: ciao_yall on May 08, 2024, 07:54:58 AM

Quote from: Wahoo Redux on May 07, 2024, 09:14:00 AM

Quote from: ciao_yall on May 07, 2024, 09:08:56 AM

Quote from: dismalist on May 07, 2024, 08:31:28 AM

QuoteIn announcing the change, M.I.T.'s president, Sally Kornbluth, said diversity statements constituted a form of compelled speech that do not work.

If they don't work, they wouldn't have to be abolished. Problem is they do work in selecting faculty.

I disagree. I have seen some that were so cringeworthy we were able to avoid wasting our time interviewing the candidate.

Why were they cringeworthy?  What does someone say in a DEI statement that is so wrong it eliminates them as a job candidate?

Trying to remember specifics.

• One just wrote "I have no idea what to say here."
• Another made a point about making sure to compliment immigrants on their English.
• "I talk to everyone, CEO to janitor, top to bottom."

That sort of thing. People who are more about making the point that they see humanity in those others might see as sub-human or inferior as opposed to being reasonably educated about why a college with a diverse student population might be asking such a question.

I cringe just reading that middle one now....

Quote from: secundem_artem on May 07, 2024, 07:21:08 AMBy the time I was an undergrad, I was no longer vacationing with my parents.  Seems like a lot of kids are not willing to fledge and leave the nest.

Why not?  Many families still travel together, even when everyone is an adult.  Parents can typically fund a better trip than a student can afford on their own. 

Prof,
Why did I get a zero on the exam?
Stu

I don't have an exam with your name on it.  On any page.
FishProf

We have a very detailed policy here. 

The key points are:
The student is responsible for contacting their instructors and arranging a reasonable plan for how to make up any missing assignments no later than the 1st 2 weeks of class.  We do not ask for which religious holiday/observation/etc. 

And this cannot be retroactive. 


I personally make sure that any due dates or deadlines are either: in class (e.g. turn in your quiz before you leave) or before Friday at 5:00pm.  Nothing is due Friday night-Monday morning.  Partially to be accommodating of religious & family time, but mostly because I don't answer emails on weekends.