Higher Ed Governance: “Universities of Wisconsin” edition
There is some irony in the presidents of Harvard and Penn defending campus free speech when that speech calls for the destruction of Israel and, by implication, the extermination of Jews. Given that conservative speakers espousing traditional values have been run off our supposedly most enlightened campuses.
The school presidents did such a poor job when subpoenaed before the Republican House of Reps this week that their jobs are in jeopardy, especially at Penn.
What did you expect? The “Universities” of Wisconsin hired $32 million worth of hate-speech monitors with the power to hire and, by denying tenure, fire. To penalize students and ban their clubs. Result? A 42-ton glacial boulder is accused or racism and escorted off campus (via a flatbed truck).
More:
UW Board of Regents rejects system deal struck with Republicans on DEI, UW-Madison engineering building
In an unexpected move Saturday, the board overseeing state public universities narrowly rejected a deal University of Wisconsin System leaders brokered with the state’s top Republican over campus diversity efforts.
The UW Board of Regents voted 9-8 to strike down an agreement “reimagining” campus diversity efforts, which many saw as selling out students of color in exchange for $800 million in employee pay raises and building projects.
UPDATE: “In a shocking turn of events, the board rejected the proposal 9 to 8, leaving over $800 million on the table and the future of the system’s DEI offices in limbo. The board also voted not to table the vote for further discussion, effectively killing the deal.”… https://t.co/K08LBbRTFy
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) December 10, 2023
Elite US universities are trend setters in academia and far beyond. Which presents a golden opportunity to lead the way in ending a period of madness in US social, cultural, and educational history. It simply has to declare: 1) Our DEI complex has been abolished. 2) Henceforth,…
— Timur Kuran (@timurkuran) December 10, 2023
This moment offers a profound opportunity for institutional change that should not and cannot be squandered. The national conversation around racial equity continues to gain momentum and the unprecedented scale of mobilization and demand for justice gives me hope. In raw, candid conversations and virtual gatherings convened across the FAS in the aftermath of George Floyd’s brutal murder, members of our community spoke forcefully and with searing clarity about the institution we aspire to be and the lengths we still must travel to be the Harvard of our ideals. It is up to us to ensure that the pain expressed, problems identified, and solutions suggested set us on a path for long-term change. I write today to share my personal commitment to this transformational project and the first steps the FAS will take to advance this important agenda in the coming year.
Amplify teaching and research on racial and ethnic inequality
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This seems to be a good example of responding to antisemitism with more DEI instead of more freedom and fairness:
The Curious Case of Claudine Gay. This is a detailed critique of President Gay’s academic and administrative history prior to her becoming President of Harvard.
Kind of odd that UW doubles down on its commitment to its ideology at the same time that it’s falling apart at more prominent schools.
After researching the bios of Evers' appointees to the Board of Regents, it's not only not surprising that they were willing to kill $800m in funding, an engineering building & pay raises for 34K state workers – it was predictable. They're a grab bag of wealthy trial attorneys,…
— Wisconsin Right Now (@wisconsin_now) December 10, 2023
