TTU Should Cancel The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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The Wall Street Journal had piece out on Monday from John Sailer titled, "How Diversity Policing Fails Science". According to Sailer, who will appear on Tuesday's Chad Hasty Show at 6:05 p.m., candidates who put in applications for a position in the Department of Biological Sciences had to submit statements on diversity.

According to Sailer, candidates were flagged by the search committee for statements that didn't fall in line with the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

One Texas Tech search committee penalized a candidate for espousing race-neutrality in teaching. The candidate “mentioned that DEI is not an issue because he respects his students and treats them equally,” the evaluation notes. “This indicates a lack of understanding of equity and inclusion issues.”
Another search committee flagged a candidate for failing to properly understand “the difference between equity and equality, even on re-direct,” noting that this suggests a “rather superficial understanding of DEI more generally.” This distinction arises frequently in DEI training, always as a markedly ideological talking point. According to the schema, equality means equal opportunity, but, to use the words of Vice President Kamala Harris, “Equitable treatment means we all end up in the same place.” Somehow, failing to explain that distinction reflects poorly on a biologist.

So how does this get back to the larger Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion? As Sailer points out, through the continued rollout and expansion of university diversity, equity and inclusion policies, Texas Tech’s Biology Department came with their own DEI hiring rules that “require and strongly weight a diversity statement from all candidates.”

Taxpayers are funding the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and it needs to stop. I'm sure of the Office of Woke helps Texas Tech in University rankings, but in the real world the office has done nothing to bring the University together. In fact, it's the opposite. The piece in the Wall Street Journal is an embarrassment for Texas Tech. And it's one that the Chancellor, Dr. Mitchell or the President, Lawrence Schovanec should address ASAP.

To listen to the interview with John Sailer, download The Chad Hasty Show podcast or listen to the Tuesday broadcast in the Radio on Demand section of this website.