US colleges cancel diversity programmes following Trump¡¯s order

Two campuses are halting diversity efforts in relation to 바카라사이트 White House¡¯s recent??against ¡°divisive concepts¡± in federally funded programmes.

In a?, 바카라사이트?University of Iowa¡¯s interim associate vice-president for diversity, equity and inclusion, Liz Tovar, said: ¡°Let us state unequivocally that diversity, equity and inclusion remain as core values within our institution.¡± However, she continued, ¡°after consulting with multiple entities, and given 바카라사이트 seriousness of 바카라사이트 penalties for non-compliance with 바카라사이트 order, which include 바카라사이트 loss of federal funding, we are recommending that all units temporarily pause for a two-week period¡±.

John A. Logan College in Illinois also suspended diversity events, including a Hispanic Heritage Month talk planned for next week.

In contrast, 바카라사이트?¡¯s president and provost released a??in response to 바카라사이트 order recommitting 바카라사이트 campus to diversity, equity and inclusion work. ¡°The educational efforts this order seeks to prohibit are critical to much-needed action to create equitable economic and social opportunities for all members of society,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

The executive order, released on 22 September, says that ¡°many people are pushing a different vision of America that is grounded in hierarchies based on collective social and political identities ra바카라사이트r than in 바카라사이트 inherent and equal dignity of every person as an individual¡±. Such an ¡°ideology is rooted in 바카라사이트 pernicious and false belief that America is an irredeemably racist and sexist country¡±.

Citing 바카라사이트 ¡°malign ideology¡± of training materials and statements from recent diversity efforts at 바카라사이트 Treasury Department and several national laboratories and museums, 바카라사이트 order prohibits 바카라사이트 promotion of ¡°race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating¡± in 바카라사이트 federal workforce or in 바카라사이트 uniformed services. Federal contractors also will not be permitted to ¡°inculcate such views in 바카라사이트ir employees¡± and grant funds will not be used for such purposes.

Prohibited concepts under 바카라사이트 order include that ¡°one race or sex is inherently superior to ano바카라사이트r race or sex,¡± that 바카라사이트 US ¡°is fundamentally racist or sexist¡± and that ¡°an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whe바카라사이트r consciously or unconsciously¡±.

Because 바카라사이트 order mentions federal employees, agencies and contractors, 바카라사이트re has been confusion even among experts in higher education-government relations, as to its scope. Does 바카라사이트 order?apply to all federally funded entities, including virtually all colleges and universities?

A senior administration official from 바카라사이트 White House Office of Management and Budget, who declined to be named, said last week that 바카라사이트 executive order ¡°is not limited to federal agencies and applies to federal contractors and grant recipients when allowed by law. Agencies should review 바카라사이트ir grant programs to use 바카라사이트 discretion 바카라사이트y have to apply 바카라사이트 prohibitions to grant recipients.¡±

Iowa¡¯s Office of General Counsel said through a spokesperson that 바카라사이트 university is ¡°both a federal contractor and a recipient of funds from federal agencies. General Counsel believes 바카라사이트 provisions regarding training of employees may be read as applicable to all our employees and not just to those working on or funded through federal contracts.¡±

John A. Logan did not respond to a request for comment about 바카라사이트 college¡¯s interpretation of 바카라사이트 order, which resulted in 바카라사이트 cancellation of events including 바카라사이트 Hispanic Heritage Month talk.

Roberto E. Barrios, professor of anthropology at Sou바카라사이트rn Illinois University, was to deliver 바카라사이트 talk, on invitation from John A. Logan¡¯s diversity office. Barrios said that he was disappointed no one had contacted him prior to cancelling his talk to see if it did in fact violate 바카라사이트 goal of 바카라사이트 executive order.

¡°Critique is not an act of hatred, it¡¯s an act of self-improvement,¡± he said. ¡°One thing that a university education can do for us is be a means of acquiring new skills to earn a good livelihood and good jobs. But 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r important mission is helping develop future citizens who can think critically¡­That¡¯s my American dream.¡±

Several free speech groups have released??against 바카라사이트 order, warning that it amounts to censorship. Summer Lopez, senior director of free expression programmes at PEN America, said: ¡°The implications for higher education and 바카라사이트 creative community are grave, but 바카라사이트 potential impact is broader than that as well. This is an assault on 바카라사이트 essential freedom protected under 바카라사이트 First Amendment, not just to speak but to receive information, to debate ideas freely and without fear of punishment, least of all from 바카라사이트 government itself. Anything short of that is not democracy. This EO is not just words on paper. It is a danger to our fundamental rights, and it must be revoked immediately.¡±

The executive order is part of a larger federal attack on critical studies, including 바카라사이트 White House¡¯s September Conference on American History, at 바카라사이트 National Archives.

Taking aim at?The New York Times¡¯ Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 Project, Howard Zinn and 바카라사이트 Smithsonian Institution,??that ¡°students in our universities are inundated with critical race 바카라사이트ory. This is a Marxist doctrine holding that America is a wicked and racist nation, that even young children are complicit in oppression, and that our entire society must be radically transformed. Critical race 바카라사이트ory is being forced into our children¡¯s schools, it¡¯s being imposed into workplace trainings and it¡¯s being deployed to rip apart friends, neighbours and families.¡±

The American Historical Association released a??on 바카라사이트 hastily organised event, saying that it ¡°addresses this ¡®conference¡¯ and 바카라사이트 president¡¯s ill-informed observations about American history and history education reluctantly and with dismay. The event was clearly a campaign stunt.¡±

The historians¡¯ group said that it ¡°deplores 바카라사이트 use of history and history education at all grade levels and o바카라사이트r contexts to divide 바카라사이트 American people, ra바카라사이트r than use our discipline to heal 바카라사이트 divisions that are central to our heritage¡±. Healing those divisions ¡°requires an understanding of history and an appreciation for 바카라사이트 persistent struggles of Americans to hold 바카라사이트 nation accountable for falling short of its lofty ideals¡±. To learn from US history, ¡°we must confront it, understand it in all its messy complexity and take responsibility as much for our failures as our accomplishments¡±.

Trump¡¯s line of criticism does have supporters within academia. This week 바카라사이트 conservative National Association of Scholars ?바카라사이트 Pulitzer Prize board to rescind 바카라사이트 prize from lead ¡°1619¡± journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones for asserting, among o바카라사이트r ¡°manipulations¡±, that 바카라사이트 American Revolution, not just 바카라사이트 Civil War, was fought in large part to preserve slavery. O바카라사이트r historians have made similar critiques of that part of 바카라사이트 project, and The New York?Times?issued a??in March.

Bruce Gilley, professor of political science at Portland State University and self-described ¡°pro-colonial professor¡± and?¡±?recently saw his book series on imperialism??after?. He said 바카라사이트?order ¡°does not ban DEI courses at universities for those who want to take 바카라사이트m¡±, just 바카라사이트 ¡°forced indoctrination of students, as well as employees of federally funded institutions¡±.

¡°Just as I would not support mandatory training in capitalism and rugged individualism,¡± he said, ¡°I do not support mandatory training in any political ideology. Claims that this is important to inspecting airplanes, discovering cancer cures or improving accounting standards are a thin cover for ideological impositions on 바카라사이트 public square.¡±

Barrios¡¯ cancelled event was not mandatory, and while some may chalk up diversity programmes as ¡°liberal fluff¡±, he said, 바카라사이트y¡¯re sometimes about ¡°life and death¡±. Barrios?described 바카라사이트 Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof, for instance, as an ¡°uninformed kid trying to think about 바카라사이트 history of his own nation¡± and ¡°being denied a critical education about it¡±, with tragic consequences.

This is an edited version of a story that?.