Michigan State Issues Insane Recommendation on Trigger Warnings
“laid out the no-nos and the replacement terms for Service Center employees at a mandatory training”
Even the word “but” is a trigger. This is madness.
The College Fix reports:
Michigan State orders student employees not to say ‘but’ – it’s triggering
Don’t “apologize” to customers. Don’t tell them it’s “no problem” to handle their concerns. Don’t even use the word “but”!
These are some of the trigger words that Michigan State tells student employees to avoid, according to a presentation documented by Campus Reform.
MSU Facilities Manager Sheena Ballbach laid out the no-nos and the replacement terms for Service Center employees at a mandatory training on “Inclusive & Culturally Sensitive Service to Residents & Guests” this month.
Some of them are predictable on a college campus: Don’t misgender people (ask for names). Don’t use gendered terms such as “sir” and “ma’am.” Call individuals “they,” regardless of grammar.
Others seem to come out of left field on Ballbach’s chart of “triggers” and “calmers.”
“I apologize” is offensive, whereas “I am truly sorry” is not. (Maybe some customers can’t understand four-syllable words.) “It’s our policy” should be “here’s what we can do.” Never start a sentence with “but” – it should be “and.”
Even the standard “no problem” should be “you’re welcome, it was my pleasure,” according to Ballbach, because the former implies the customer is “an inconvenience to you.”
In other words, student employees are instructed to speak less directly and more euphemistically.
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Comments
I can’t agree with you on this one. The expression “No ptoblem” as a slacker replacement for “You’re welcome” really does imply that the customer had asked for something unusual or burdensome.
While some of the prohibitions in the university’s list are based on PC nonsense, some are simply good recommendations.
Two things:
no problem wasn’t the only common phrase being policed
you’re wrong about a phrase that is short for “it was no trouble at all”
I have to agree with
https://www.rightreactions.blog/ ….. “TRIGGER WARNING”
How do they feel about “hey you!”? And note I asked how they feel and not what they think.
Hey They
What happens if people complain they’re offended by the language used by these student employees?