U Florida terminates DEI positions

[MarathonRunner]

Clearly not new: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upward_Bound

Interesting. I hadn't heard of these programs to support some high school students.

What is notable is that nowhere is race mentioned. Support is conditioned mainly on income. First generation college potential status is also supported. [That's the sop to the educational establishment -- us.]

If support were based solely on income, the racial mix of those supported by any program would not be changed much and nobody would have anything against such programs. So it has nothing to do with DEI.

Umm, it has everything to do with EDI. EDI isn't just about race, it's about providing opportunities to communities that have been traditionally marginalized or underserved or underrepresented. That includes race, but also socioeconomic status, ability/ disability, Indegeneity, etc.

Although race and income are highly correlated.

Absolutely. Indigeneity would be correlated like race. "Socioeconomic status" and income must be near perfectly correlated. Same with disability.

I have seen Upward Bound students for decades, and at least in the Midwest they have been overwhelmingly students of color.

Which is exactly what one would expect using income as a selection criterion.

So what about a student who is disabled, but comes from a high-income or professional family? In that case, disability is not correlated with income. And even high-income First Nations and Black individuals in Canada experience far more racism than their white peers.

[jimbogumbo]

TRIO is directly focused on DEI. Diversity based on class, Equity based on class, and Inclusion based on class. It does not address the needs of all such groups, notably those of rural youth.
Saying it isn't a DEI program is simply ridiculous. Believing that indicates, to me, a very narrow view of DEI, and is why it's so disheartening to see DEI become the whipping post of the right wing.

[marshwiggle]

I have seen Upward Bound students for decades, and at least in the Midwest they have been overwhelmingly students of color.

Which is exactly what one would expect using income as a selection criterion.

So what about a student who is disabled, but comes from a high-income or professional family? In that case, disability is not correlated with income. And even high-income First Nations and Black individuals in Canada experience far more racism than their white peers.

"Peer" is the operative word here. High income kids, of any ethnic background, will have more in common with each other than with the very poor members of their own ethnic background. The kids from high income families will have lots of support no matter what, while the low income kids will struggle.

The disabled student from a wealthy family will face obstacles, but the family's wealth will open doors and smooth the road whether there is anything like "DEI" or not. The poor kids with no advocacy are much more likely to fall through the cracks, regardless of their ethnic background.

[Hegemony]

High income kids, of any ethnic background, will have more in common with each other than with the very poor members of their own ethnic background.

The black high-income kids will have an important part of their experience that the white high-income kids will not share — and that's that coming from an affluent family does not insulate a black kid from racism. Indeed, as we have seen, it invites particular kinds: black kids driving expensive cars frequently get pulled over by police on suspicion of having stolen the car. You may claim that the affluent black kids have more affinities with their white peers, but I wonder if that's what they would say. I suspect they would add a number of caveats to that assertion. And when they emerge from their expensive schooling, they will still face obstacles that their white peers will not, for instance white academics claiming that racism is a negligible part of the kids' experience.

[ciao_yall]

High income kids, of any ethnic background, will have more in common with each other than with the very poor members of their own ethnic background.

The black high-income kids will have an important part of their experience that the white high-income kids will not share — and that's that coming from an affluent family does not insulate a black kid from racism. Indeed, as we have seen, it invites particular kinds: black kids driving expensive cars frequently get pulled over by police on suspicion of having stolen the car. You may claim that the affluent black kids have more affinities with their white peers, but I wonder if that's what they would say. I suspect they would add a number of caveats to that assertion. And when they emerge from their expensive schooling, they will still face obstacles that their white peers will not, for instance white academics claiming that racism is a negligible part of the kids' experience.

For my EdD I interviewed one of my Black students. Pretty rough background, spent time in juvenile hall for murder. I taught him at a Community College, then it turned out he was getting his Bachelor's at the same university where I was getting my EdD. So big turnaround.

We had a really great discussion. He shared he felt a bit isolated - his friends were still basically his old crowd he ran with. He didn't have friends at school. I asked him if he had considered joining the Black student clubs and he said "No." Why? "I don't have anything in common with them - they just like to go out and try different kinds of foods." It sounded to me like many of them had come from more middle-class backgrounds and he didn't feel like he could fit in.

He said "Would you join the women's clubs on campus? Just because you are women doesn't mean you have anything in common." I said I saw his point. Still, I said, these people and you are probably dealing with a lot of the same issues. As you get to know them, you'll need to find support in this environment.

He agreed. At the end of the day, there are people who don't see anything but the skin in front of them. Whether they grew up going to the Boys and Girls Club or Jack and Jill, Head Start or Montessori, they just don't see a difference.

[marshwiggle]

High income kids, of any ethnic background, will have more in common with each other than with the very poor members of their own ethnic background.

The black high-income kids will have an important part of their experience that the white high-income kids will not share — and that's that coming from an affluent family does not insulate a black kid from racism. Indeed, as we have seen, it invites particular kinds: black kids driving expensive cars frequently get pulled over by police on suspicion of having stolen the car. You may claim that the affluent black kids have more affinities with their white peers, but I wonder if that's what they would say. I suspect they would add a number of caveats to that assertion. And when they emerge from their expensive schooling, they will still face obstacles that their white peers will not, for instance white academics claiming that racism is a negligible part of the kids' experience.

For my EdD I interviewed one of my Black students. Pretty rough background, spent time in juvenile hall for murder. I taught him at a Community College, then it turned out he was getting his Bachelor's at the same university where I was getting my EdD. So big turnaround.

We had a really great discussion. He shared he felt a bit isolated - his friends were still basically his old crowd he ran with. He didn't have friends at school. I asked him if he had considered joining the Black student clubs and he said "No." Why? "I don't have anything in common with them - they just like to go out and try different kinds of foods." It sounded to me like many of them had come from more middle-class backgrounds and he didn't feel like he could fit in.

He said "Would you join the women's clubs on campus? Just because you are women doesn't mean you have anything in common." I said I saw his point. Still, I said, these people and you are probably dealing with a lot of the same issues. As you get to know them, you'll need to find support in this environment.

He agreed. At the end of the day, there are people who don't see anything but the skin in front of them. Whether they grew up going to the Boys and Girls Club or Jack and Jill, Head Start or Montessori, they just don't see a difference.

You do realize how this sounds if white students also feel that the only place they will "find support in this environment" is with other white students?

It's one thing to argue that the colour of someone's skin may make some difference in their experience, but arguing that it's basically the most significant factor in their experience suggests that the whole concept of a racially diverse society is a complete waste of time.

[Wahoo Redux]

IHE: Black Scholars Face Anonymous Accusations in Anti-DEI Crusade

Lower Deck:

Since right-wing firebrand Christopher Rufo helped bring down Harvard's president, at least seven more scholars—most of them Black—have confronted accusations of plagiarism or research misconduct spread by conservative media.

[marshwiggle]

IHE: Black Scholars Face Anonymous Accusations in Anti-DEI Crusade

Lower Deck:

Since right-wing firebrand Christopher Rufo helped bring down Harvard's president, at least seven more scholars—most of them Black—have confronted accusations of plagiarism or research misconduct spread by conservative media.

An odd comment:

Observers such as Isaac Kamola, director of the Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom at the American Association of University Professors, see "a coordinated attack" behind it all. He said "it's clear there's a bunch of resources, there's somebody who has a lot of money, plagiarism software," and is fishing for misconduct.

He doesn't seem to be claiming that the software is finding false positives, but rather that there are so many positives they shouldn't be cause for concern.

Plagiarism is so 20th century.

[Wahoo Redux]

Plagiarism is so 20th century.

Ha!

[Wahoo Redux]

The Atlantic: The State That's Trying to Rein in DEI Without Becoming Florida

The law prohibits universities from giving individuals preferential treatment or discriminating against them based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, or gender identity. It forbids offices that help students from excluding anyone based on their identity. It bans mandatory campus training sessions that promote differential treatment. It prohibits "discriminatory practices," such as ascribing "values, morals, or ethical codes, privileges, or beliefs to an individual" because of their identity.

<snip>

Even so, the law's mandate to disregard race, gender, and other traits, rather than treating people differently based on their identity, is polarizing. Many of its critics believe that education policy must elevate identity to be "equitable"––that the just response to systemic racism, disparities in graduation rates, and the culture of a state that is almost 80 percent white and socially conservative, is targeted initiatives for Black, brown, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ students.

But that position forecloses the possibility of trying new approaches to discover whether they could be better. The DEI framework is often expensive to implement, dogmatic, and thin on evidence that it helps students thrive. Utah's attempt to rein in DEI's excesses while investing in plausible alternatives might just represent the best way forward.

<snip>

Like most Americans, I support many goals associated with DEI, such as admitting students of diverse backgrounds to college, ensuring their equal access to a good education, and eliminating any bigotry they are subject to because of their personal or group identity.

But among people who value diversity, not everyone agrees with the ways DEI advocates attempt to promote and manage it. For example, many DEI supporters urged doing away with the SATs, a move some institutions now regard as a mistake (the test, a good predictor of student success, is less vulnerable to being gamed by affluent applicants than essays or extracurricular activities). And many academic departments require DEI statements from prospective hires, even though some professors see such statements as ideological litmus tests. Put simply, some DEI work advances important goals that most Americans support. Other initiatives take unrigorous, intrusive, or unpopular stances, fueling liberal and conservative backlashes.

There are hyperlinks in the article.