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.
Friendly note for the Front Porch: as all you wonderful people who've been with me a long time know, I keep a fairly soft hand in the comments section. Though I try to read all the comments, I have quite the busy paying gig and can't monitor everything on busy posts. A man must sleep. As many of you have been commenting here for 18-yrs or so, I'd ask you Old Salts to help me out if there is something out of bounds.
Just as a benchmark, I love creative friction and throwing the occasional elbow is fine, but there are things that can give people strikes; unnecessarily personal attack ("well, you don't know what you're talking about" is OK; "You have sh1t for brains you inbred redneck" will give you a strike, or perhaps a temporary ban depending on the context.
Anything that personally attacks the hosts - or a few people who are plank owning members of the Front Porch - may just get you banned for life if I'm in a bad mood. It is OK to call me or MTH "wrong" "ill-read" or even "partisan hack" but anything what gets close to being a slanderous, threatens violence, whiffs at doxing, clearly false or libelous accusations, psycho-sexual, or simply being a blatant troll will get you nuked from orbit and banned for life.
I also do not abide red in tooth and claw communists, nazis, promoters of civil violence, and such ilk.
Spammers and those trying to pimp (over an over) non-germane links will also get nuked.
I always have an open ear to appeals, and people can email me with their appeals. We have more than one regular commenter here who has been banned and then brought back after an appeal.
Likewise, as I mentioned in the above, if there is something/someone in comments you think I need to take a look at, please email me. Regulars know where the email address can be found.
Anyway, as I had to nuke two people from orbit this AM already, I just thought I'd drop a note on this topic as I do now and then.
I value all of you and appreciate the conversations we have here and on Midrats. Have a great weekend.
I have to admit I agree with this one! I applied for a USNA position and had to submit 4 one page “letters”: Leadership, Teaching Experience, Research Experience, and Diversity. The last one didn’t seem to fit.
(I was not selected!)