Ess Pokornowski’s Post

This week, I ran across this DEI Legislation Tracker created by The Chronicle of Higher Education, documenting legislation introduced or passed that would limit or restrict DEI-promoting efforts in colleges and universities. It paints a worrisome picture. Since 2023, 85 bills have been introduced in 28 states, and 14 have become law.   But I also found hope this week when I re-read an essay by bell hooks in "Teaching to Transgress." Written in 1994, but just as applicable today, she reminds us that backlash to progress is predictable and not a reason to waiver. She writes:   "Some folks think that everyone who supports cultural diversity wants to replace one dictatorship of knowing with another, changing one set of thinking for another. This is perhaps the gravest misperception of cultural diversity [...]   As backlash swells, as budgets are cut, as jobs become even more scarce, many of the few progressive interventions that were made to...create an open climate for cultural diversity are in danger of being undermined or eliminated.   To create a culturally diverse academy we must commit ourselves fully[...] We cannot be easily discouraged. We cannot despair when there is conflict. Our solidarity must be affirmed by shared belief in a spirit of intellectual openness that celebrates diversity, welcomes dissent, and rejoices in collective dedication to the truth."   A reminder, in this challenging year, to keep going. https://lnkd.in/gfFSz-XU

Pay attention NC voters. This is yet another way that GOP lawmakers and their appointees are taking us back to the days of Jim Crow in NC. They are not even trying to hide their dirty deeds. Are we going to just let them get away with this? I graduated from NCSU, ECU, and UNC-CH, three UNC schools. I believe Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs are critical at the predominantly white institutions like the universities I attended.. Dr. Kashi Bazemore NC Taxpayer and Concerned Citizen Text from article: The UNC System Board of Governors appears poised to take action on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, in North Carolina’s public university system, potentially eliminating administrative positions dedicated to the efforts. The University Governance committee of the board on Wednesday will consider and vote on a policy that would replace the system’s existing policy and regulation on diversity and inclusion for its 17 campuses, according to meeting materials. The current regulation, among other requirements, mandates that the system office and all schools within the system employ DEI officers and that universities work toward achieving campus-specific DEI-related goals. With the new policy, it appears those requirements and several others listed in the regulation would be repealed. https://lnkd.in/eYuAqBAt

Pay attention NC voters. This is yet another way that GOP lawmakers and their appointees are taking us back to the days of Jim Crow in NC. They are not even trying to hide their dirty deeds. Are we going to just let them get away with this? I graduated from NCSU, ECU, and UNC-CH, three UNC schools. I believe Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs are critical at the predominantly white institutions like the universities I attended.. Dr. Kashi Bazemore NC Taxpayer and Concerned Citizen Text from article: The UNC System Board of Governors appears poised to take action on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, in North Carolina’s public university system, potentially eliminating administrative positions dedicated to the efforts. The University Governance committee of the board on Wednesday will consider and vote on a policy that would replace the system’s existing policy and regulation on diversity and inclusion for its 17 campuses, according to meeting materials. The current regulation, among other requirements, mandates that the system office and all schools within the system employ DEI officers and that universities work toward achieving campus-specific DEI-related goals. With the new policy, it appears those requirements and several others listed in the regulation would be repealed. https://lnkd.in/eQBXFdWN

Another great piece by Jeremy Young. For higher education leaders looking for ways to defend higher education, consider joining Education for All. Our membership consists of leaders across the country seeking to resist the Anti-DEI legislation movement, one of the elements that is noted in this article. The moment to reimagine higher education for a more just future is now. https://lnkd.in/esruQh9G

From article: "But on Wednesday, Woods said that his decision to reverse course is based on a determination by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, who said in a letter sent to "the sponsor of [HB 1084]" that "this law shall not restrict local school systems from adopting any AP, IB, or dual enrollment course," and that "Each such course will be exempted from the provisions of the divisive concepts legislation, so long as these courses are implemented “in a professionally and academically appropriate manner and without espousing personal political beliefs.” Woods' statement did not name HB 1084's sponsor, but the bill was authored by state Rep. Will Wade. Carr said in that letter, which was obtained by ABC News, that HB 1084 was "not to be construed or applied to somehow prohibit the implementation of advanced placement, international baccalaureate, or dual enrollment coursework." "The only limitations placed on such coursework by [HB 1084] are that it is implemented 'in a professionally and academically appropriate manner and without espousing personal political beliefs.'" A spokesperson for Carr told ABC News on Wednesday that the letter reflects his view on state funding for the AP African American studies course. ABC News reached out to Wade's office for further comment, but the request was not immediately returned. A representative for the Georgia Senate told ABC News that despite the reversal, Democratic lawmakers from both of the state's legislative chambers are still expected to hold a previously scheduled hearing on the issue on Thursday." and "“From the beginning, we knew that Woods was wrong,” Democratic Sen. Nikki Merritt wrote Wednesday on X. “This is a victory today for our students, teachers, and Black History demonstrating the potential of community involvement.” Merritt previously criticized Woods’ decision during a July 24 press conference at the Georgia State Capitol, where a group of Democratic lawmakers and advocates called on Woods to restore funding for the AP African American studies course and argued that it has been unfairly targeted. “This course is the only AP course removed. And we're left wondering why. I can tell you it's not about funding,” Merritt said during the event." https://lnkd.in/gxNU-PDk #socialstudies #curriculum #APAfricanAmericanStudies #georgia

Higher Ed reform is in the air. I argue for a more fundamental approach, where reformers go to the root of the problem by reconsidering what higher education was like before the rise and institutionalization of the progressive university in America in my latest from Liberty and Law. Let's peel back the onion freed from the corrupt and corrupting approaches in today's system. How does K-12 fit in with undergraduate and undergraduate with graduate studies? Why do we need General Education? Do we need PHDs in all fields? Where can we implement more testing and higher admission standards? What would we want a conservative or civilizational higher education system to look like? How much research university? Where liberal arts? Where workforce education? Let's think bigger. An opening salvo. . . https://lnkd.in/gh7ZwszK

Texas A&M President Mark A. Welsh is either stupid or a liar when he defends noxious DEI doctrine by saying that: "Diversity of thought is a cornerstone of great universities, and, quite frankly, it’s a key ingredient to our continued success. Implementation of S.B. 17 will not change that." DEI has absolutely nothing to do with "diversity of thought," which has always been a tenet of the Enlightenment university. Welsh knows, or should know, that DEI embeds critical racialist essentialism in the university and hands control over the faculty and university programs to half-educated, plagiarizing bureaucrats who are steeped in a primitive doctrine of racial villains and victims. Abdicating its commitment to its students, A&M continues to pour scarce education funds into its racialist bureaucracy, while parents and student struggle in the face of mounting college costs. President Welsh should be removed immediately, and his dismissal should be the first in a series of housecleaning moves to rid the university of primitive racialism as embodied by DEI and its functionaries in the bureaucracy.

What's happening: The University of California (UC) has set a new record for fall 2024 by admitting the largest and most diverse class of first-year California students, totaling 93,920, which represents a 4.3% increase from last year. This milestone reflects the UC system's commitment to expanding access for low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students of color. The admissions process also saw a notable increase in diversity, with 39% of admitted students identifying as Latino, 33% as Asian American, and 6% as Black. UC's admission rate for California first-year students rose to 70%, though UCLA's rate remained low at 9.5% due to its high application volume. The system also admitted 26,430 transfer students, a 7.8% increase over the previous year. UC Santa Cruz emerged as a leader in supporting nonbinary students, admitting the highest number of such students, while UC Merced had the highest proportion of Latino students. Despite these achievements, challenges persist, such as the FAFSA processing delays, which have created uncertainty about final enrollment numbers. https://brnw.ch/21wLGuB #LatinoBuzz

This is a very interesting read on the future of higher education in the U.S. whether Trump wins or not. The question institutions of higher education are facing is, not what they ought to be doing, but what higher education IS.

Examining the recent issues discussed in the Chronicle of Higher Education reveals the systemic dismantling of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives in various states. This trend is both eye-opening and profoundly disheartening. It underscores a troubling regression in the commitment to fostering inclusive and equitable academic environments. The rollback of DEI programs, often under the guise of legislative and policy changes, threatens to undermine decades of progress in promoting diversity and addressing inequities within higher education institutions. This dismantling affects the immediate academic community and signals a broader societal shift away from valuing diverse perspectives and inclusive practices. It raises urgent questions about the future of higher education and the role of universities in championing social justice and equity.