DEI programs in the news

[Wahoo Redux]

These insights all sound like common sense.  It's not like they haven't been warned repeatedly that not paying attention to such common-sense considerations could prove counterproductive.  DEI advocates have really set their cause back badly and provoked largely avoidable backlashes by not heeding those warnings.  This is the sort of thing that happens when policies are made in hermetically-sealed academic and ideological bubbles.

Hopefully with more of this sort of revised thinking and reflection they can make some actual progress toward some of their goals in the future, without provoking a bunch of needless antagonism.  It's going to be an uphill struggle to win back many academics and members of the general public who've already come to have strongly negative ideas of DEI.

+1

[Wahoo Redux]

The DEI community of officers and reps have some self-awareness of their problems--from the Chronicle:

https://www.chronicle.com/article/under-siege-dei-officers-strategize-to-fight-back

Here's a telling quote from the President and Chief Executive of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education:

"We took a lot for granted. We took for granted that we were doing the right thing."

A couple of hopeful insights:

DEI professionals should avoid slogans that confuse and obscure what they're doing. They should "avoid being language police," he said. Don't fight over whether or not it's appropriate to refer to people as Latinx. "Let's not get into battles over small stuff that prevents us from dealing with the bigger issues."
...
Critics often argue that DEI offices suppress speech by policing language that might offend members of disadvantaged groups. Several speakers suggested that advocates speak out about the importance of free speech, and of listening to people with opposing viewpoints, even if they make you uncomfortable.

"Diversity also means diversity of ideas and perspectives," said George A. Pruitt, president emeritus of Thomas Edison State University, in Trenton, N.J. While threats from the right get the most attention, he said, diversity efforts are also set back, he believes, "by students shouting down speakers they don't agree with, cancel culture, and attempts to shield students from speech and ideas that trigger them or make them feel uncomfortable."

Maybe there's hope after all.

+1

---Disagree but don't shout down. 
---Focus on what really hurts people and use existing laws to combat this; if it does not fall under the law, use your Freedom of Speech to combat it.
---Let the bigots be bigots (freedom of thought, Freedom of Speech) but do not allow them to set policy.
---Quit trying for the "got'cha" moment on silly crap.  If you are brave enough to call out a colleague on a "micro-aggression," take your bad-assed-ness to a Trump rally and call'em out there.

[Wahoo Redux]

I think that (Ciao's remark) was a joke. Society and academia would be in even sadder shape than I thought if it was not.

These days reality and parody are pretty hard to distinguish. See this thread.
[/quote]

I would not be the least surprised if ciao was posting literally about a real event.

On edit: I see that she was.  As with so many things in academia right now, this should not be surprising.

[dismalist]

...

My colleague got called on the carpet for referring to a generic class as "Underwater Basket Weaving" because it was offensive to cultures for whom baskets are very important.

She cried in front of the entire curriculum committee and guests in her apology.

Don't think such is offensive to anybody, 'cause nobody does it underwater [as far as I know].

Now, basket weaving an sich is a serious matter. Look at this Austrian village ensemble tooting horns and showing baskets:

Baskets

The women leading the files are carrying baskets! Those on the right of the viewer are carrying closed baskets. Can't make out what they are. Wish I knew. Maybe schnapps.

Nevertheless, it could be we have a cultural basket crisis on our hands, certainly an Austrian basket crisis.

[mythbuster]

I give you all the real (non credit) Underwater Basket Weaving Course at Rutgers

[Wahoo Redux]

I give you all the real (non credit) Underwater Basket Weaving Course at Rutgers

And a new college major is born!!

[Langue_doc]

After DEI Ban, UT-Austin Eliminates a Division and Lays Off Its Former Diversity Staff

[Langue_doc]

With State Bans on D.E.I., Some Universities Find a Workaround: Rebranding
Welcome to the new "Office of Access and Engagement." Schools are renaming departments and job titles to try to preserve diversity programs.

[dismalist]

With State Bans on D.E.I., Some Universities Find a Workaround: Rebranding
Welcome to the new "Office of Access and Engagement." Schools are renaming departments and job titles to try to preserve diversity programs.

This was to be expected, of course. It's called gaming the system. But legislatures can play, too. It will lead to further reduction in State financial support in some places.

[apl68]

If they're subtle about it, and have the sense to drop the more egregious sorts of jargon and activities that spur most of the backlash, some of the schools can probably preserve their most important DEI efforts.

[treeoflife]

If they're subtle about it, and have the sense to drop the more egregious sorts of jargon and activities that spur most of the backlash, some of the schools can probably preserve their most important DEI efforts.

Agreed, once the anti racist jargon is off the table it is far less egregious.

[Wahoo Redux]

IHE: Tennessee Triples Down on Targeting 'Divisive Concepts'

Republican lawmakers in multiple states have listed and taken aim at certain theories or beliefs that they often associate with pushes for diversity, equity and inclusion.

Tennessee was among the first to act. In 2022, its Republican-controlled General Assembly passed a law saying public college and university students and employees couldn't be penalized if they didn't endorse certain "divisive concepts." These included the idea that meritocracy is inherently racist and the notion that "the rule of law does not exist, but instead is a series of power relationships and struggles among racial or other groups."

[marshwiggle]

Ontario university seeks math professor who self-IDs as woman or gender minority

Aside from being an "exceptional scholar and researcher," the tenure track position, ranked as an assistant professor, is looking for candidates with a PhD or equivalent in pure mathematics or a related discipline.

"To address legal requirements for supporting underrepresented groups in the CRC program, eligible candidates for this search are required to identify as a woman or gender minority, which is defined to include individuals who self-identify as women, transgender, gender-fluid, nonbinary and Two-Spirit people."

[Ruralguy]

I think we're lumping together a lot of similar, but not necessarily directly related, concepts.

[dismalist]

Ontario university seeks math professor who self-IDs as woman or gender minority

Aside from being an "exceptional scholar and researcher," the tenure track position, ranked as an assistant professor, is looking for candidates with a PhD or equivalent in pure mathematics or a related discipline.

"To address legal requirements for supporting underrepresented groups in the CRC program, eligible candidates for this search are required to identify as a woman or gender minority, which is defined to include individuals who self-identify as women, transgender, gender-fluid, nonbinary and Two-Spirit people."

The discussion of DEI, and here Canadian CDC, reminds me of a line in the movie Miss Congeniality [2000] where Sandra Bullock and Candice Bergen argue over whether the Pageant at the heart of the movie is a Beauty Pageant or a Scholarship Program. Is DEI a Reeducation Program or a Jobs Program? Outside a few States, it's a jobs program and, as such, can't fail!