Diversity is the Unofficial Religion of Higher Education
“the goal of these policies is to ensure uniformity of belief”
I’ve been making this point for years and now more and more people are beginning to notice the same thing.
Christian Schneider writes at the New York Post:
Secular universities now demand a ‘profession of faith’
Many religious universities have historically used “statements of faith” to uphold their religious mission. But while such policies are on the wane, a different sort of religious statement is increasingly common at secular colleges — namely, the statement of diversity.
Professors and other faculty members are asked to pledge their commitment to “equity” and “inclusion” and to demonstrate how they have acted to fulfill this pledge in the past. And much as with the religious version, the goal of these policies is to ensure uniformity of belief.
Consider the University of California, Los Angeles. To be considered for tenure-track positions, applicants are required to write a full statement outlining their commitment to diversity. According to UCLA guidelines, the extent to which a professor promotes equity, diversity and inclusion is a key factor in making progress on the tenure track.
Promoting these ideals “is inseparable from how the University of California conceives of ‘merit,’ ” the school says. UC Riverside, UC San Diego and UC Berkeley all require similar diversity statements.
At Vassar, tenure-track candidates have to report their “contributions to social justice.” Applicants at the University of Minnesota-Duluth must “demonstrate ability to support the university’s commitment to equity and diversity.” Vanderbilt, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Washington and the University of Nebraska all instruct their professors on how to write effective diversity statements.
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Comments
This requirement for political uniformity is nothing new, but it’s only now that people outside the universities are beginning to notice. For at least the past 30 years, job applicants have been rated on “commitment to diversity” or other virtuous-sounding political criteria. That’s how the universities have avoided hiring conservatives.
If a university requires a “profession of faith” in leftist ideology, the applicant has no ethical reason to give them anything other than what they want. I have always advised applicants and young faculty members to read the college’s “diversity” goals and statements and prepare a document that simply regurgitates these platitudes using different words. Emulate the North Koreans, all trying to outdo each other in proclaiming their devotion to the wisdom of the Dear Leader.
This is the same response that I advise to students in courses with leftist faculty who encourage political uniformity rather than logical thought. Read their publications, read the pubs of the people they like, and regurgitate that stuff on the papers and the exams. Usually, this amounts to an easy A.