From Diverse Professors to Professors of Diversity

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | December 7, 2018 | John Rosenberg

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Ever since Justice Powell’s lone opinion in Bakke allowed the camel’s nose of “diversity” under the anti-discrimination tent, controversy has raged over preferential treatment awarded to college applicants of certain races.

Just as hurricanes often change direction after landfall, the diversity movement has recently taken off in some surprising new directions that deserve public attention.

Diversity Statements

First came the “diversity statements,” introduced by a smattering of institutions for promotion or tenure and sometimes for all new hires.

Both the prevalence and the required content of these diversity statements has expanded dramatically.

UCLA’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, for example, recently released Version 2.1 of a comprehensive “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement FAQs” attempting to justify why equity, diversity, and inclusion should “figure into faculty hiring and promotion” and laying out chapter and verse of what should be included in EDI statements.

Helpful examples were provided, quoted from the faculty hiring guide:

efforts to advance equitable access to education;

public service that addresses the needs of California’s diverse population;

research in a scholar’s area of expertise that highlights inequalities;

mentoring and advising students and faculty members, particularly from under-represented and underserved populations.

An applicant’s research must not only reflect publications, etc. but also “contributions to the advancement of equitable access and diversity in education.”(emphasis in original)

UCLA’s statement helpfully defined EDI. Particularly revealing was its effort to define equity: “On a formal level, ‘equity’ just means treating likes alike. In other words, if two candidates provide the same performance, give them the same score.” But that’s just “formal.” Where the rubber meets the road, however, “On a more substantive level, equity means not ignoring differences when they matter.”

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Federal funding for "higher education" (indoctrination) should be cut.