IHE: DEI Admins Frustrated, Leaving in Droves Even as New Jobs Pop Up

[Kron3007]

@Kron, the response does sound wishy-washy. However, most institutional diversity statements are even more wishy-washy as seen in Harvard's Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Belonging, where the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer states:

"My approach to the work is very much grounded in my academic interests in history and the law, and in thinking about how we've evolved, and how we haven't evolved, around questions of race and gender, and it comes from a deep passion toward effecting sustainable organizational change, and creating structures that outlast all of us, so that we can actually make progress. I fundamentally believe that many of the challenges that we face in higher education relative to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging have answers rooted in applied research. We must work together in the field to find them."

It isn't clear how Harvard's calls to "Dismantle Intersecting Oppressions" have succeeded in "dismantling intersecting oppressions". How would Harvard assess progress in this area?

True, but the one you shared was essentially a passive aggressive dig at the interviewers and dismissed the question entirely.

The Harvard one here is wishy washy and not very good, but they are not really answering the same question.

[Wahoo Redux]

Please take note, all, that this is where the Marshbrain and I meet.  I have to agree on with The Mighty Marshbeast, although I do not know how we would apply the science to an actual working scenario.  I'd leave that to the scientists, I guess.

Would something we both agree on reflect some kind of fundamental truth about the universe?

There is no other explanation.

[MarathonRunner]

EDI professionals at the Canadian universities I've been at (also often called EDII, with the second I standing for Indigenization) have accomplished a lot. Initiating alternative admissions pathways for Indigenous and Black students, creating summer programs for high school students from groups whom we've poorly served in the past, providing supports for universal design which helps ensure course materials best meet the needs of all students, establishing pre-doctoral fellowships for Indigenous and Black students, championing the "preferred name" for students in university IT systems, leading the programs that led to relabelling some bathrooms in every building as gender-neutral, among others. There are actual, concrete things that can be done, and I've seen them implemented.

[Ruralguy]

Yes, not everyone is going to like all of the specific things that a DEI group does, but many do actually do things, and their officers actually have jobs that entail more than shaking fists at white people. It seems that some here refuse to engage with that reality.

[Wahoo Redux]

Yes, not everyone is going to like all of the specific things that a DEI group does, but many do actually do things, and their officers actually have jobs that entail more than shaking fists at white people. It seems that some here refuse to engage with that reality.

Could you provide some specific examples?  I am willing to believe you----my own observations are not "fist shaking" but repeated climate surveys, workshops, and unsuccessful recruiting attempts. Other examples include state-mandated online training videos and electronic quizzes.  But I freely admit that I do not know what diversity officers do.  I actually asked this question some time ago. 

[Langue_doc]

@Kron, the response does sound wishy-washy. However, most institutional diversity statements are even more wishy-washy as seen in Harvard's Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Belonging, where the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer states:

"My approach to the work is very much grounded in my academic interests in history and the law, and in thinking about how we've evolved, and how we haven't evolved, around questions of race and gender, and it comes from a deep passion toward effecting sustainable organizational change, and creating structures that outlast all of us, so that we can actually make progress. I fundamentally believe that many of the challenges that we face in higher education relative to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging have answers rooted in applied research. We must work together in the field to find them."

It isn't clear how Harvard's calls to "Dismantle Intersecting Oppressions" have succeeded in "dismantling intersecting oppressions". How would Harvard assess progress in this area?

True, but the one you shared was essentially a passive aggressive dig at the interviewers and dismissed the question entirely.

The Harvard one here is wishy washy and not very good, but they are not really answering the same question.

I wanted to focus on the question, rather than the response. Roxanne Gay, the "advise" columinist has the same axe to grind, so I would ignore her. The question though reminded me of a colleague who when being interviewed by two well-meaning Caucasians who were reading from a list of mandated questions pointed out that she, a non-white person, knew how to work with people/students from different backgrounds. Most non-white colleagues/professional I know want to be treated as equals instead of being singled out because of their ethnicity, skin-color, gender or some other DEI identity.

The query in the NTY article I referred to above clearly shows the professor's frustration at being asked by people who have not themselves been subject to discrimination how she would contribute to the institution's "commitment to diversity".

I was asked this question by a panel consisting of three white women and one white man in senior positions, my age (50s) or younger (30s to 40s), no visible disabilities. I am and appear Latina (Spanish name, dark hair, brown skin). I am not comfortable disclosing personal information (such as a non-visible disability, background as an immigrant, queer identity, etc.).

I commended their commitment to D.E.I., not least because of the range of expertise and complementary skills it brings together. But then I went on to note that, as the only person of color in the room and having successfully lived, studied and worked for decades in predominantly white institutions, I am well prepared to work with and among people whose backgrounds differ from my own.

[marshwiggle]

Yes, not everyone is going to like all of the specific things that a DEI group does, but many do actually do things, and their officers actually have jobs that entail more than shaking fists at white people. It seems that some here refuse to engage with that reality.

It's good to know their jobs entail more than that. As long as they don't lose site of their primary responsibility.

[Kron3007]

@Kron, the response does sound wishy-washy. However, most institutional diversity statements are even more wishy-washy as seen in Harvard's Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Belonging, where the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer states:

"My approach to the work is very much grounded in my academic interests in history and the law, and in thinking about how we've evolved, and how we haven't evolved, around questions of race and gender, and it comes from a deep passion toward effecting sustainable organizational change, and creating structures that outlast all of us, so that we can actually make progress. I fundamentally believe that many of the challenges that we face in higher education relative to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging have answers rooted in applied research. We must work together in the field to find them."

It isn't clear how Harvard's calls to "Dismantle Intersecting Oppressions" have succeeded in "dismantling intersecting oppressions". How would Harvard assess progress in this area?

True, but the one you shared was essentially a passive aggressive dig at the interviewers and dismissed the question entirely.

The Harvard one here is wishy washy and not very good, but they are not really answering the same question.

I wanted to focus on the question, rather than the response. Roxanne Gay, the "advise" columinist has the same axe to grind, so I would ignore her. The question though reminded me of a colleague who when being interviewed by two well-meaning Caucasians who were reading from a list of mandated questions pointed out that she, a non-white person, knew how to work with people/students from different backgrounds. Most non-white colleagues/professional I know want to be treated as equals instead of being singled out because of their ethnicity, skin-color, gender or some other DEI identity.

The query in the NTY article I referred to above clearly shows the professor's frustration at being asked by people who have not themselves been subject to discrimination how she would contribute to the institution's "commitment to diversity".

I was asked this question by a panel consisting of three white women and one white man in senior positions, my age (50s) or younger (30s to 40s), no visible disabilities. I am and appear Latina (Spanish name, dark hair, brown skin). I am not comfortable disclosing personal information (such as a non-visible disability, background as an immigrant, queer identity, etc.).

I commended their commitment to D.E.I., not least because of the range of expertise and complementary skills it brings together. But then I went on to note that, as the only person of color in the room and having successfully lived, studied and worked for decades in predominantly white institutions, I am well prepared to work with and among people whose backgrounds differ from my own.

Well, part of EDI related best practices is indeed asking all candidates the same questions.  The fact that someone would be offended by being asked a standardized question (this is generally explained to candidates) based on the interviewers' skin colour(s) is a bit of a red flag to me.  The second issue with this from your description is that the candidate has assumed that the interviewers have not experienced discrimination based on their skin colour alone.  What if one of them is gay, trans, etc.?  It is very possible that the interviewers have indeed faced similar challenges and making this type of assumption is part of the problem.

In the end, the candidate provided a bad answer regardless of their ethnicity.  Being a minority is not a free pass and they should be glad they were not singled out or treated differently.  As mentioned earlier, I have met plenty of homophobic and racist minorities that do not promote EDI in their group beyond being in an underrepresented group themself.   Many of the Martian researchers who hire a lot of Martian students that I have seen do so because they can be more readily exploited due to immigration/Visa rules.