Another “quick takes” on items where there is too little to say to make a complete article, but is still important enough to comment on.
The focus this time: The return of education is nigh as discrimination, exclusion, and inequality (i.e. “DEI”) becomes shunned.
First, a little mood music:
Carrying on…
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) had a reputation as being full of science wonks and boffins, rather than a center of campus radicalism. Now, there’s a chance that that reputation might be re-earned.
“MIT will no longer require diversity statements in its faculty-hiring process, making it the first elite university to abandon the practice.
“The decision was made by MIT president Sally Kornbluth, with support from the school’s provost and six academic deans, a spokesperson told National Review on Sunday afternoon.
“‘My goals are to tap into the full scope of human talent, to bring the very best to MIT, and to make sure they thrive once here,’ Kornbluth said in a statement provided to NR. ‘We can build an inclusive environment in many ways, but compelled statements impinge on freedom of expression, and they don’t work.’
“Higher-education writer and researcher John Sailer first reported Kornbluth’s statement for UnHerd on Sunday. MIT previously required diversity statements across its academic disciplines, including its nuclear-science and engineering department.
“The campus climate at MIT and Korbluth herself came under intense scrutiny when she testified before Congress last year and struggled to say definitively if calls for genocide against Jews violated campus policies. She testified alongside former University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill and former Harvard University president Claudine Gay about the explosion of campus antisemitism following Hamas’s civilian massacre in Israel.”
The Kansas Board of Regents seem to be doing the same, this time following the Kansas Legislature.
“On April 17, the Kansas Board of Regents prohibited public universities in the state from forcing student applicants, job candidates, and university employees to state their opinions about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) while their applications or promotions are being considered.
“The board voted unanimously for the measure.
“Board Chairman Jon Rolph stated that the policy change is a ‘good faith effort in trying to listen to the Legislature.’
“Republican State Sen. J.R. Claeys said he ‘wouldn’t expect [universities] to enact any enforcement on themselves.’
“The Kansas House of Representatives passed legislation on March 21 forbidding the state’s universities from mandating DEI statements when admitting students or hiring new employees. The legislation was approved by a vote of 81-39.
“This March, An audit initiated by Kansas legislators also revealed that roughly $9 million state taxpayer dollars funded DEI initiatives at the state’s universities during the 2022-2023 school year.”
A couple of public universities in Virginia are also getting rid of DEI requirements.
“Two public universities in Virginia have scrapped their planned diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements after a review by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R-VA) administration.
Virginia Commonwealth University and George Mason University canceled their plans to implement DEI-oriented classes as a requirement for undergraduate studies after “Youngkin raised concerns about ‘core curriculum mandates that are a thinly veiled attempt to incorporate the progressive Left’s groupthink.’
“However, while the VCU Board of Visitors voted 10-5 publicly in a meeting on Friday to reject a ‘racial literacy’ requirement just before the fall 2024 academic semester, which included the requirement, was set to begin, GMU decided to delay implementation for one year.
“According to a press release from VCU, the majority vote included appointees from the administrations of two Democrats, former Govs. Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam, as well as from Republican Youngkin. It also noted that the courses will still be available, but VCU will not be forcing students to take them.”
TTFN.
