Diversity Thursday

touch it, give it a sniff, tell me what it is

Remember back in March when we discussed, among other things, the requirement to submit “Diversity Statements” in order to be considered for some faculty positions at the US Naval Academy?

Well, as in many things, this was just another example of a service academy hiring in and conforming with the worst socio-political trends from civilian academia.

As in all things - these fetid little Cultural Marxist struggle sessions cannot survive the combination of transparence, accountability, and fair minded leadership.

Even when you don’t have the last two - when these policies see the light of day - if well meaning people and good faith actors are direct, clear, and persistent - push back works.

Today’s great news comes from the great state of Arizona;

Following urgings from the Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based conservative think tank, the Arizona Board of Regents announced Tuesday that it has eliminated requirements for diversity, equity and inclusion statements in university job postings, The Arizona Republic reported.

The announcement came about a month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against race-conscious admissions policies and on the heels of legislative sessions in some states that sought to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs at colleges and universities. A bill that would have eliminated DEI training for employees at Arizona’s higher education institutions narrowly failed this year.

The Phoenix newspaper quoted a spokesperson for the Board of Regents as saying that DEI statements have “never” been required, but a report by the Goldwater Institute seems to contradict that. The report, “The New Loyalty Oaths: How Arizona’s Public Universities Compel Job Applicants to Endorse Progressive Politics,” combed job listings at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona and concluded that “up to 80 percent of faculty job openings now force applicants to pledge support for progressive, racialized notions of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion.’”

That is how it is done.

Today, Arizona; tomorrow, Annapolis.

Drag it in to the sunlight; let everyone look at it - and then either they will get rid of it out of shame or they will fight to defend it in open intellectual combat.

Either way, we win.