Cancelling Dr. Seuss

[Wahoo Redux]

Does this mean biological females cannot wear pants? 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-dress-code-for-texas-agency-clothes-must-conform-to-biological-gender/ar-AA1an0Nn

For men, business attire means long-sleeved dress shirts, ties and sports coats with trousers and dress shoes or boots, according to the dress code. For women, it means "tailored pantsuits, businesslike dresses, coordinated dressy separates worn with or without a blazer, and conservative, closed-toe shoes or boots."

So, no.

You know, except for business dresses and pantsuits, that dress code mandates that men and woman are almost dressed the same. 

[Wahoo Redux]

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Palm Beach Atlantic professor files federal discrimination complaint after being fired

The reason behind [the firing] was a parent who complained to the school, alleging Joeckel's racial justice unit was indoctrinating students. Joeckel told CBS12 he never expressed his views or opinions.

Updating: FIRING OF TENURED PROFESSOR AT BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE "BLURRED LINES" BETWEEN PROTECTED SPEECH AND CONDUCT THAT MAY MERIT INVESTIGATION, SAYS PEN AMERICA

Garrett was fired last month for what campus administrators say was, among other things, "immoral" and "unprofessional" conduct, "dishonesty," and "unsatisfactory performance." Garrett claims he is being targeted for protected speech. Garrett is the co-founder of the Renegade Institute for Liberty, a group that says it promotes free speech and viewpoint diversity but that has been controversial on campus and on social media.

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CHE: Presidents Are Changing Their Tune On Free Speech

Here and there, in notes to campus communities, speeches during formal events, and open letters, university presidents and other administrators are pushing back in defense of academic freedom and free speech. They're not standing on soapboxes shouting against would-be censors, but the words they choose, the battles they pick, and the signals they send suggest a renewed fondness for free-speech principles.

Thank you, Hamline!!!

Remember, if you give CHE your email so they can annoy you, they will send you these articles to read for free.

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CHE: More Students Endorse an Expansive Definition of 'Harm.' Colleges Aren't So Sure.

A series of recent campus-speaker flare-ups has highlighted how college students are redefining "harm" as something that threatens not only their physical safety, but also their emotional safety. While that's not a new idea, experts say, today's students are more attuned to potential impacts of harm.

[little bongo]

CHE: More Students Endorse an Expansive Definition of 'Harm.' Colleges Aren't So Sure.

A series of recent campus-speaker flare-ups has highlighted how college students are redefining "harm" as something that threatens not only their physical safety, but also their emotional safety. While that's not a new idea, experts say, today's students are more attuned to potential impacts of harm.

This is an important article illustrating how prickly this business of balancing harm assessment and free speech is on a daily basis. The following quote resonated most with me, from Lynn Mahoney based on her experience with Ben Shaprio's visit to Cal State L.A.:

"...protect free speech, address the harm, and 'keep these speakers from having the best day of their lives.'"

It's tough to implement, and probably imperfectly thought out. It's also the best place to start the difficult discussions that I've witnessed thus far.

[jimbogumbo]

https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/5/5/23711417/republicans-want-to-defund-public-libraries-book-bans

[nebo113]

https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/5/5/23711417/republicans-want-to-defund-public-libraries-book-bans

In my county, they are not defunding, just starving....slowly.

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Given that k12 ed teaches minor children, exactly what level of moral and behavioral standards ought a community, via its elected  school board reps, be able to impose upon teachers (who are not draftees, and have no sovereign right to their employment)?   Why or why not?

This might be an example of the "level of moral and behavioral standards...a community, via its elected  school board reps, [when it is] able to impose upon teachers."

NBC News: 'Trump was great at this': How conservatives transformed a Colorado school district

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NBC News: DeSantis signs bill defunding diversity programs at Florida colleges

[jimbogumbo]

This thread could easily have 10 new examples per day. The moral of this story might be "never teach a kid whose mother is placed by God on the school board".

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/15/us/florida-teacher-disney-movie-gay/index.html

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IHE: The Scandal-Proof Star Coach

Lower Deck:

West Virginia's Bob Huggins kept his job after making blatantly homophobic comments earlier this month, reflecting the staying power of controversial coaches who deliver athletic victories.

A few weeks later, he went on a sports radio show and called members of Xavier University's basketball team—an old rival of his former team at the University of Cincinnati—a homophobic slur. He did this not once but twice during the interview, repeating both the slur and a derogatory portrayal of the school's Catholic identity.

For most university employees, such comments would be enough to justify an immediate firing. Not so for the Hall of Fame coach and prodigal son of Morgantown, who has led WVU since 2007 and is the winningest active coach in Division I men's basketball. Huggins emerged from the scandal damaged but intact, with a three-game suspension, a $1 million fine, mandatory sensitivity training and a contract alteration that came with a stern ultimatum.

Not even the top professors could survive such a faux pas. 

Then again, even the tippy-top professors would default on a million dollar fine.

Just shows how absolutely screwed up every single bit of this scenario is.

The football coach of our extraordinarily mediocre football team got away with stupid commentary, stupid recruiting of criminals, and losing half the time, the same with our tennis coach.  The school let go of numerous faculty and staff, many very good people.

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CHE: Diversity Statements Violate First Amendment, Professor Says in Suing U. of California

Haltigan argues in the lawsuit that Santa Cruz uses diversity statements to screen out job applicants who do not hold specific views, "including the view that treating individuals differently based on their race or sex is desirable." He claims that his views on "colorblind inclusivity," "viewpoint diversity," and "merit-based evaluation" mean that he cannot truthfully compete for the position, which involves receiving a high sore on a rubric used to evaluate candidates.

[ciao_yall]

CHE: Diversity Statements Violate First Amendment, Professor Says in Suing U. of California

Haltigan argues in the lawsuit that Santa Cruz uses diversity statements to screen out job applicants who do not hold specific views, "including the view that treating individuals differently based on their race or sex is desirable." He claims that his views on "colorblind inclusivity," "viewpoint diversity," and "merit-based evaluation" mean that he cannot truthfully compete for the position, which involves receiving a high sore on a rubric used to evaluate candidates.

If the guy doesn't think he needs to make a learning environment appropriate to diverse students from diverse backgrounds so the maximum number can succeed, he's in the wrong field.

[marshwiggle]

CHE: Diversity Statements Violate First Amendment, Professor Says in Suing U. of California

Haltigan argues in the lawsuit that Santa Cruz uses diversity statements to screen out job applicants who do not hold specific views, "including the view that treating individuals differently based on their race or sex is desirable." He claims that his views on "colorblind inclusivity," "viewpoint diversity," and "merit-based evaluation" mean that he cannot truthfully compete for the position, which involves receiving a high sore on a rubric used to evaluate candidates.

If the guy doesn't think he needs to make a learning environment appropriate to diverse students from diverse backgrounds so the maximum number can succeed, he's in the wrong field.

Without knowing anything about how his students actually perform, this is pretty meaningless. A prof who is effective with all students using a single approach is better than a prof who has lots of different approaches for different students but none of whom learn much.

[ciao_yall]

CHE: Diversity Statements Violate First Amendment, Professor Says in Suing U. of California

Haltigan argues in the lawsuit that Santa Cruz uses diversity statements to screen out job applicants who do not hold specific views, "including the view that treating individuals differently based on their race or sex is desirable." He claims that his views on "colorblind inclusivity," "viewpoint diversity," and "merit-based evaluation" mean that he cannot truthfully compete for the position, which involves receiving a high sore on a rubric used to evaluate candidates.

If the guy doesn't think he needs to make a learning environment appropriate to diverse students from diverse backgrounds so the maximum number can succeed, he's in the wrong field.

Without knowing anything about how his students actually perform, this is pretty meaningless. A prof who is effective with all students using a single approach is better than a prof who has lots of different approaches for different students but none of whom learn much.

He teaches psychiatry and psychology. So... lots of opportunity here.

• Has he kept up with the most recent research, which has redefined many issues around mental health?
• Does he make sure that his coursework represents diverse contributors?
• Is he sensitive to students who might need a little extra tutoring or cultural context?
• Is he aware of controversies/biases in his field that impact certain groups, and does he make sure he approaches these appropriately?

When I was a teenager, my parents sent me to a therapist because apparently it was my fault they were alcoholics, kleptomaniacs, having financial problems and on the brink of divorce for the 3rd time.

Anyway, I talked to him and asked him about careers in psychology. He explained to me that it was a problem for a lot of people because you had to do "Original research." Further, "Everything had already been researched and discovered in the field. So there weren't any new topics." He seemed concerned about how anyone could possibly get a PhD in the future.

This was back when Reagan was president, FWIW.