Many Colleges Now Require Teaching Applicants to Submit a ‘Diversity Statement’
“a hoop academic job-seekers must jump through, whether they agree with the premise or not”
This is nothing more than a backdoor way of weeding out politically undesirable candidates.
From the James G. Martin Center:
The Toxic Absurdity of “Diversity Statements”
As if landing a college teaching position wasn’t already difficult enough, the powers-that-be have placed another obstacle in job-seekers’ path: the so-called “Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” better known as the “diversity statement” or “DEI statement.” Many (most?) institutions now require such a document as part of the application packet along with the traditional CV, cover letter, and transcripts.
As a long-time advice columnist for The Chronicle of Higher Education, I frequently hear from academics on the job market. Lately, I’ve been getting emails asking how to write a diversity statement. I fear I’m not much help in that department, partly because I haven’t had any firsthand experience writing such statements but mostly because I find the whole concept not only absurd but incredibly toxic.
Still, I do what I can. I realize this is a hoop academic job-seekers must jump through, whether they agree with the premise or not (and I suspect, from the tone of their emails, that many find it just as objectionable as I do). So I direct them to articles in The Chronicle and elsewhere with titles like “Five Don’ts in Your DEI Statement” and “What Not to Write in Your DEI Statement.”
What is perhaps most striking about these essays and others like them is the focus on what applicants should NOT say. This illustrates perfectly the fundamental problem with diversity statements: Their purpose is to prove a negative—namely, that the writer is not a bigot—apparently by demonstrating to the committee’s satisfaction that he or she has whole-heartedly embraced the DEI agenda.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Since the requirement for a political litmus test is itself unethical, an applicant has no ethical reason to be truthful in preparing the response. If I were required to submit such a political statement, I would massage the boilerplate available online together with the material on the school’s website to come up with the facade of a dedicated activist. I’d give you a load of woke BS that would make you think I was the love child of Ibram X Kendi and Nikole Hannah-Jones.
I’d rather clean toilets.
Remember when some high school English teacher told you that writing skill was really important in life. This is one of those times that it is.
Been seeing them for at least 2 years now…and yes, people shamelessly try to carve out their woke point niches like being a woman or an Asian or from a small town. (Haven’t seen any from African Americans or Latinos yet because I teach in a real major that doesn’t just take woke bs as scholarship).
Take a look at my avatar. Do you think I could sneak by, by identifying as an Asian Woman from a Small Town?
Totally.
Depends on whether you can show a lifetime commitment to the lefty causes…then you can be whoever you want to be*
*for as long as you are useful
Just the attempt should earn you 90 Wokeness points.
“This is nothing more than a backdoor way of weeding out politically undesirable candidates.”
What is backdoor about this? Seems very straightforward way if weeding out conservatives.
Unless you believe a 2×4 to the side of the head is subtle and only a 2×4 to the forehead is direct.
The opposite of a wokester is not necessarily a conservative; rather, it’s a normal human being.
I read that it helps to tell a story about how you “called out” a white person for being insufficiently anti-racist. Probably especially important if you are white — they want you to draw blood with passion.
I also read that these statements are read “blind” as the first round of selection, not in the context of the rest of the application. It’s a screen before your actual qualifications are even looked at, so make it “good”.
Sickos.
If you don’t want to risk your career based upon your understanding of dEI, just buy one off of the internet.