Annual You're a Racist Training Video

[mahagonny]

Trying it a different way before we get into the ad hominem blasting phase:

A presentation by a speaker these days feels to many of us like training and peer pressure rather than an exchange of ideas for this simple reason: he starts with the assumption that everyone in the room agrees that a new, reinvented way of thinking teaching talking and acting, infused with 'antiracist' objective, is urgently needed, as mandated by the killing of George Floyd, which of course was racially motivated,(?) and other similar current events. And the only points on which we may disagree are 'what should this vigorous anti-racist work look like, and what required of each of us?'
They are treating things as settled issues that are not, and in doing do, isolating one part of the room (the squares) from the cool people in the other. And under the the banner of 'inclusion'.
I call psychological manipulation.

[Sun_Worshiper]

You get paid to go to diversity training? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal actually. What kind of university do you teach at again?

I don't know what financeguy wrote about evidence, but certainly these things are only worthwhile if they are effective. Of course, rejecting them out of hand without conducting or consulting empirical research on their effectiveness would also be silly.

I teach at two colleges, so it is likely my anecdotes can be confusing. The college I'm referring to has a 'strong union.' this is both good and bad.
What I'm calling diversity training is not specifically that; it is a series of seminars and a keynote speech. Full timers are required to attend and part timers are encouraged to attend by getting a stipend. Lots of internet discussion follows. In my opinion, too much. Still, this is, actually and potentially, one of the positive things about having a college that does not have a tenure track. Part time faculty can be, here and there, considered an asset to the college to be invested in, not a temporary mistake that threatens the dynasty. And as I wrote, some of the seminars have been great. I've learned things  It's where social justice matters come into it that they really stink, for the most part. If you asked them to invite Coleman Hughes to present one, you'd be ridden out of town on a rail five minutes after they google him to find out how he is.
As for the sweet deal part, it's the same situation as it is for part timers everywhere, as Kaysixteen and others have noted hereabouts, and as full timers who used to be part timers are so good at forgetting: part of your job is looking for work, so your hourly pay is lower than what might be calculated with prep time, classroom time, grading, etc.

Gotcha. So, to confirm: The things you are griping about in this thread are not actually a trainings. These are seminars, which you choose to attend, and you enjoy them because they are great, and you even get paid to attend. Sometimes they are focused on social justice, and you don't like those and resent your university for not letting you bring in somebody named Coleman Hughes. You don't have to attend the social justice talks, of course, but you choose to because you want to get the check (how principled of you... although you might want to think about the opportunity costs).

And this all somehow this has to do with part timers looking for work and full timers being forgetful.

so, to confirm: colleges may hire academics from on or off campus to give talks on social justice issues for the purpose of provoking thought and discussion, on campus and beyond, and you want the discussion to be all the type you agree with, and when it's not, you choose to make an issue with the person discussing it in a way you don't agree with; notably, his succumbing to his need to make a living, rather than take up any of the points ardently and regularly made by the far left university culture, which we are well familiar with by now.

Who are you referring to here?  Certainly I never said anything remotely close to this.

What type of university do you teach at again?  I've never heard of a school paying adjuncts to attend seminars.

[mahagonny]

What type of university do you teach at again?  I've never heard of a school paying adjuncts to attend seminars.

you're not going to out me this way.

Have you heard of Coleman Hughes? Do you need to get out more?

[Sun_Worshiper]

What type of university do you teach at again?  I've never heard of a school paying adjuncts to attend seminars.

I see you've never heard of Coleman Hughes either.

What? Is this supposed to be an answer to my question? I feel like I'm talking to one of those automated voice systems at TIAA:

Automated voice: "Please state your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "Diversity trainings"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about voluntary seminars this correct?"
Me: "No"
Automated voice: "Please restate your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "You get paid to attend seminars... that's weird"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about full time faculty forgetfulness. Is this correct?"
Me: "No"
Automated voice: "Please restate your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "What kind of university do you teach at?"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about Coleman Hughes. Is this correct?"

[larryc]

White people are so fragile.

[mahagonny]

What type of university do you teach at again?  I've never heard of a school paying adjuncts to attend seminars.

I see you've never heard of Coleman Hughes either.

What? Is this supposed to be an answer to my question? I feel like I'm talking to one of those automated voice systems at TIAA:

Automated voice: "Please state your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "Diversity trainings"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about voluntary seminars this correct?"
Me: "No"
Automated voice: "Please restate your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "You get paid to attend seminars... that's weird"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about full time faculty forgetfulness. Is this correct?"
Me: "No"
Automated voice: "Please restate your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "What kind of university do you teach at?"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about Coleman Hughes. Is this correct?"

I did not answer you directly, not even after editing, because your answer appears in reply #14 upthread:

At least they pay us, which is appreciated, and comes at a good time.

If your question is still 'what kind of an institution pays adjuncts to go to seminars' my answer is 'the kind that does.'
But you either don't believe that we get paid (your issue), or you believe being paid means the speakers may not be criticized after the school asks for our reaction. Or something else. I can't think of any reason in particular that an adjunct may not give a critique of the speaker. Can you?

Not going well. Anyone else have anything here?

[Sun_Worshiper]

What type of university do you teach at again?  I've never heard of a school paying adjuncts to attend seminars.

I see you've never heard of Coleman Hughes either.

What? Is this supposed to be an answer to my question? I feel like I'm talking to one of those automated voice systems at TIAA:

Automated voice: "Please state your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "Diversity trainings"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about voluntary seminars this correct?"
Me: "No"
Automated voice: "Please restate your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "You get paid to attend seminars... that's weird"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about full time faculty forgetfulness. Is this correct?"
Me: "No"
Automated voice: "Please restate your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "What kind of university do you teach at?"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about Coleman Hughes. Is this correct?"

I did not answer you directly, not even after editing, because your answer appears in reply #14 upthread:

At least they pay us, which is appreciated, and comes at a good time.

If your question is still 'what kind of an institution pays adjuncts to go to seminars' my answer is 'the kind that does.'
But you either don't believe that we get paid (your issue), or you believe being paid means the speakers may not be criticized after the school asks for our reaction. Or something else. I can't think of any reason in particular that an adjunct may not give a critique of the speaker. Can you?


Not going well. Anyone else have anything here?

I never said any of the bolded (you seem to have a hard time engaging in discussion without misrepresenting my earlier comments), just asking what sort of institution pays adjuncts to attend seminars. I've never heard of this, and I have been around, so I'm curious. If you don't want to answer, that's fine, but it is out of the ordinary, so I'm asking.

[marshwiggle]

White people are so fragile.

Do you mean that criticizing something regardless of whether it was said by a white-supremacist or an "anti-racist" is evidence of "fragility"?

[Langue_doc]

What type of university do you teach at again?  I've never heard of a school paying adjuncts to attend seminars.

I see you've never heard of Coleman Hughes either.

What? Is this supposed to be an answer to my question? I feel like I'm talking to one of those automated voice systems at TIAA:

Automated voice: "Please state your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "Diversity trainings"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about voluntary seminars this correct?"
Me: "No"
Automated voice: "Please restate your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "You get paid to attend seminars... that's weird"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about full time faculty forgetfulness. Is this correct?"
Me: "No"
Automated voice: "Please restate your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "What kind of university do you teach at?"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about Coleman Hughes. Is this correct?"

I did not answer you directly, not even after editing, because your answer appears in reply #14 upthread:

At least they pay us, which is appreciated, and comes at a good time.

If your question is still 'what kind of an institution pays adjuncts to go to seminars' my answer is 'the kind that does.'
But you either don't believe that we get paid (your issue), or you believe being paid means the speakers may not be criticized after the school asks for our reaction. Or something else. I can't think of any reason in particular that an adjunct may not give a critique of the speaker. Can you?


Not going well. Anyone else have anything here?

I never said any of the bolded (you seem to have a hard time engaging in discussion without misrepresenting my earlier comments), just asking what sort of institution pays adjuncts to attend seminars. I've never heard of this, and I have been around, so I'm curious. If you don't want to answer, that's fine, but it is out of the ordinary, so I'm asking.

Some institutions do pay adjuncts for office hours. Adjuncts in one or more institutions in large metropolitan areas can use some of these hours to attend professional development workshops.

[writingprof]

White people are so fragile.

Dude, White Fragility is racist now.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/dehumanizing-condescension-white-fragility/614146/

Follow the plot.

[Anon1787]

White people are so fragile.

Not everyone expressing skepticism of some of these initiatives and ideas is white, straight, etc. but go on making assumptions (or make even nastier comments about who is and is not an authentic member of a group).

Who are you referring to here?  Certainly I never said anything remotely close to this.

What type of university do you teach at again?  I've never heard of a school paying adjuncts to attend seminars.

Next semester, my large urban public university is offering a paid workshop on diversity in the classroom to all faculty--including adjuncts--while of course cutting classes offered to adjuncts because the one part of the budget that must not be cut is the pay and number of administrators.

[Sun_Worshiper]

What type of university do you teach at again?  I've never heard of a school paying adjuncts to attend seminars.

I see you've never heard of Coleman Hughes either.

What? Is this supposed to be an answer to my question? I feel like I'm talking to one of those automated voice systems at TIAA:

Automated voice: "Please state your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "Diversity trainings"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about voluntary seminars this correct?"
Me: "No"
Automated voice: "Please restate your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "You get paid to attend seminars... that's weird"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about full time faculty forgetfulness. Is this correct?"
Me: "No"
Automated voice: "Please restate your reason for the call in a few words"
Me: "What kind of university do you teach at?"
Automated voice: "You wish to talk about Coleman Hughes. Is this correct?"

I did not answer you directly, not even after editing, because your answer appears in reply #14 upthread:

At least they pay us, which is appreciated, and comes at a good time.

If your question is still 'what kind of an institution pays adjuncts to go to seminars' my answer is 'the kind that does.'
But you either don't believe that we get paid (your issue), or you believe being paid means the speakers may not be criticized after the school asks for our reaction. Or something else. I can't think of any reason in particular that an adjunct may not give a critique of the speaker. Can you?


Not going well. Anyone else have anything here?

I never said any of the bolded (you seem to have a hard time engaging in discussion without misrepresenting my earlier comments), just asking what sort of institution pays adjuncts to attend seminars. I've never heard of this, and I have been around, so I'm curious. If you don't want to answer, that's fine, but it is out of the ordinary, so I'm asking.

Some institutions do pay adjuncts for office hours. Adjuncts in one or more institutions in large metropolitan areas can use some of these hours to attend professional development workshops.

That's not what he's describing. If he was being paid for office hours then he wouldn't have to go to the seminar to get a check.

White people are so fragile.

Not everyone expressing skepticism of some of these initiatives and ideas is white, straight, etc. but go on making assumptions (or make even nastier comments about who is and is not an authentic member of a group).

Who are you referring to here?  Certainly I never said anything remotely close to this.

What type of university do you teach at again?  I've never heard of a school paying adjuncts to attend seminars.

Next semester, my large urban public university is offering a paid workshop on diversity in the classroom to all faculty--including adjuncts--while of course cutting classes offered to adjuncts because the one part of the budget that must not be cut is the pay and number of administrators.

Also not what he's describing, although closer.

[Anon1787]

Also not what he's describing, although closer.

I believe that what was mentioned is a speaker from off or on campus and that all participants are compensated (the stipend for participation is in addition to regular salary), so I don't see how that does not qualify, but you are splitting hairs to make what point exactly?

[Sun_Worshiper]

Also not what he's describing, although closer.

I believe that what was mentioned is a speaker from off or on campus and that all participants are compensated (the stipend for participation is in addition to regular salary), so I don't see how that does not qualify, but you are splitting hairs to make what point exactly?

There is a difference between a guest speaker series and a professional development workshop. They are fundamentally different, and so not splitting hairs imo, although you are welcome to disagree. The point is that I've never heard of anyone being paid to attend events of the former sort, which is what the poster appears to be describing, and so I'd like to know what type of university does this.

[Langue_doc]

Also not what he's describing, although closer.

I believe that what was mentioned is a speaker from off or on campus and that all participants are compensated (the stipend for participation is in addition to regular salary), so I don't see how that does not qualify, but you are splitting hairs to make what point exactly?

There is a difference between a guest speaker series and a professional development workshop. They are fundamentally different, and so not splitting hairs imo, although you are welcome to disagree. The point is that I've never heard of anyone being paid to attend events of the former sort, which is what the poster appears to be describing, and so I'd like to know what type of university does this.

Welcome to the new "normal".