When it comes to diversity, CMU has come a long way
I recently visited a former professor I had to talk to about his views in regard to how diversity is handled on campus.
I figured his perspective would be legitimate given he came from Nigeria many years ago.
One thing he mentioned is the great change that he has witnessed over the last 20 years at Central Michigan.
He mentioned that when he was first brought in, there was only a handful of minority faculty.
Now, there isn’t a department lacking a decent representation of various ethnicities and other demographics.
After all, the Information Systems Department Chair is Chinese.
So during the course of the conversation, the subject arose of the diversity report that Dr. Senter et al had completed in 2008.
I’ve previously written on this report twice , but my professor brought up a question in response to the report’s negative outlook: Why don’t diversity groups talk about the positive things that have happened over the last 20 years instead of all the perceived negatives?
That simple question made me realize the most effective way of determining the legitimacy of these groups is not to challenge them directly but, rather, ask why they focus on the perceived problems when so many positives have occurred.
I won’t go into an actual critique of the latest report, but I will mention that there isn’t anything positive in there that I can see.
Additionally, for the claims the survey makes about more than one half of minority faculty and staff reporting negative experiences, it seems there isn’t a flight from employment at Central Michigan University.
So I wonder, are these diversity groups and initiatives actually bringing anything of value to the university, or are they merely trying to justify their existence?
The “official story” is that the tears shed by Jesse Jackson after Obama had won the Presidency were of joy.
Those of us a little more skeptical believe that he realized that he’s doomed to a realm of irrelevancy.
After all, how can you cry that this country is bigoted when a black president was elected?
Have you heard of Jackson making the news lately?
I haven’t.
I believe the likes of Denise Green, CMU’s associate vice president of institutional diversity, see the writing on the wall and are fighting for every last bit of legitimacy.
I think Central Michigan University eliminating or severely reducing diversity related expenditures, amounting to $1.3 million in the 2009-2010 budget, would make a good start in the budget reduction process.
