Said Damon Williams, the University of Wisconsin Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate, at last night's Student Town Hall Meeting.
Williams presented issues progressing on campus and others that have remained the same or regressed. One of those issues progressing is the university's undergraduate enrollment of minorities, but Williams will not be happy until UW-Madison is the "national champion."
Nearly a hundred students showed up to hear that and to be put in small groups to come up with specific ideas on assigned diversity subtopics like academic success and campus climate.
Students proposed ideas including giving social action leaders college credit for their volunteer work and changing ethnic studies classes to be purely discussion.
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153 comments:
Rather than "social action", why aren't they discussing whether anybody's actually learning anything?
This is why I no longer give money to my alma mater. My donations will be pissed away on another Vice Provost of Climate and Diversity while the administration laments the ever-climbing cost of education and lack of support from the state.
Can anyone really expect an intelligent person to send his children to a place like that?
He and others like him will not be happy until 100% of the population each see themselves as a member of an aggrieved and disadvantaged minority group whose population is one.
Or perhaps create a new college called University of Wisconsin--Diversity. You would be admitted if you were officially "diverse" and classes would be all discussion.
And am I - an American, born here - an ethnic?
Rather than "social action", why aren't they discussing whether anybody's actually learning anything?
Crack, you just cracked me up.
You are the man, brother.
Whatchu learned lately?
A hundred students out of, what, 32,000? Everybody needs a hobby.
I guess just bucking up and getting on with things wasn't a solution.
[...] changing ethnic studies classes to be purely discussion.
Back in the day, we more forthrightly referred to this sort of thing as "bullshitting."
Feelings
wo-o-o feelings
wo-o-o, feelings
Feelings...(repeat & fade)
"I hear so much of the pain from students, faculty or staff," Williams said. "People look at me differently because I am x, y or z."
Forgive me for pointing out the preposterously obvious lunacy of this.
Let's see: University admits unqualified students solely because they belong to certified victim classes.
People look differently at these students.
Can't for the life of me figure out why.
They all think they can grow up to be Affirmative Action President like their hero. They are in fact not smart enough to work down at the car wash.
This reminds me of the housing bubble. "I want us to be the champion of getting people into houses." So a lot of people got a lot of what looked like cheap can't lose loans. Now they're in a heap of hurt.
Thanks for reminding me why I have never returned to my alma mater these last 20 years.
As a psychologist one of the first things I learned is that I cannot make a patient happy or healthy. Who are these administrators that they think THEY can.
Trey
This also made me think of Gagdad Bob's observation:
In [the book] Hitler & His God, Van Vrekhem goes into considerable detail about the "volkisch movement" that was a big part of the appeal of Nazism -- or which Nazism co-opted, to be precise. At the root of this movement was the idea that Christianity was a foreign influence superimposed on a much deeper reservoir of primitive beliefs. Christianity unifies people through a common belief system, but "volk" indicates "a tribal unity of blood, unmodified by ideas of a common humanity. Religious in the intensity of their beliefs, volkists had had no real equivalent in other Western nations."
The concept is especially difficult for normal (non-leftist) Americans to comprehend, being that we are the first nation explicitly created around abstract and universal principles instead of more primitive modes of blood, soil, mythology, etc. But here again, we can see how the modern doctrine of multiculturalism is in reality a quite primitive reversion back to earlier ways of life. Multiculturalism is specifically a rejection of American principles, what with its obsession with blood and race instead of ideas. This is why when you criticize Obama's ideas, they accuse you of being a racist.
"I hear so much of the pain from students, faculty or staff...People look at me differently because I am x, y or z."
Faculty? Really? I can believe students maybe, who aren't very mature yet, but faculty?
I'm sorry. People are too damn sensitive. Someone looks at you differently? Why the hell do you care? You shouldn't. And if you're that sensitive, have you ever considered the possibilty that you are imagining it?
"Minority-concern" is a handy thing for a college student. It easily distracts from productive work, but at the same time is legitimized and encouraged by the Establishment.
It's like the Administration telling you to go ahead and smoke pot and blast out of your mind and disregard the productive stuff.
I bet the Chinese don't get distracted like this. Must be due to the Chinamoms.
I believe in diversity in climate myself. That is why I live in New England.
Is Madison really so far behind? You must have at 2 seasons, maybe even 3.
Why are these programs needed? We have an African American President.
Williams presented issues progressing on campus and others that have remained the same or regressed. One of those issues progressing is the university's undergraduate enrollment of minorities, but Williams will not be happy until UW-Madison is the "national champion."
Say, hows about teaching student journalists to write in English?
The guy's title should be Vice Provost of We Can't Get Caught Photoshopping Diversity Again.
Sad. Funny, but sad.
So, Althouse, since you've been operating in this atmosphere all your life...
And, since you belong to one of the preferred victim classes (women)...
Tell us why we shouldn't suspect that you acquired your position, at least to some extent, as the result of a quota system that favors you.
And, tell us why an upper middle class white suburban woman should be the recipient of that quota favoritism.
And, on the other hand, you're an honest broad. You do want to talk about the subject. Congratulations and thanks for that part.
My son is waiting to hear if he's accepted to Madison. Hopefully he'll be able to take advantage of this "institutional guilt."...LOL.
What a bunch of crap.
When it comes to crowning the national collegiate champions of diversity, I want to see head-to-head competition. None of this namby-pamby ranking business, based on surveys and feelings.
I wonder how many of the 100 were liberal arts majors.
I'll bet very very few were engineers or hard science majors.
James said...
Just hope his application essay was entitled "The Diversity of Our Climate" or "Climatic Diversity and You".
It's always the X's, Y's, and Z's who get all the attention.
I'm O. I feel left out. He has made his diversity goals an alienating experience for me, as an O, I don't feel he is putting enough effort into making sure we are represented fairly.
His end of the alphabet focus is very disconcerting.
You'll notice it's all men responding here. That's as it should be.
I'm the son of non-union factory workers. I grew up in white trash redneck poverty. First member of my extended family to graduate from a four year college.
And, I've been getting that stick of butter jammed up my ass my entire life.
If I complain about it, I'm told that I'm a racist and misogynist.
I had a religion/mythology class in college where the professor had basically turned the entire curriculum into a Men's Studies class. He had us split up into groups one day and make lists of "male traits" and "female traits." It was impossible for us to take it seriously. We were writing down things like "Toilet Seats Up" and "Toilet Seats Down."
He also was teaching about things like Star Wars and how it related to mythology. He was a real doofus, poor thing.
Last time I was on campus, I didn't see any x's, y's, or z's. Maybe a few L's, G's, B's and T's, but that's about it.
You'll notice it's all men responding here. That's as it should be.
Not anymore, baby!
nyah nyah nyah
ABSOLUTE madness..
(The Crypto Jew)
I wonder how many of the 100 were liberal arts majors.
I'll bet very very few were engineers or hard science majors.
The problem is, that the Liberal Arts majors will administer the school or the Department of Education, not the Engineers or Hard Scientists, and so they will discover themselves at the mercy of this sort of “thinking” anyway.
So, if "ethnic" people are having different experiences, why don't they just form a club, meeting, study group for themselves to talk it out, find camaraderie and share those experiences?
Why must this be a stated goal of the university?
It's always the Podunks full of white people who adopt the questionable goal of diversity to get on the bandwagon...like global warming really...everybody's got a green brochure.
So many obvious contradications in those ideas...
Here's a suggestion for UW Madison to increase its diversity.
Move the university to a part of the country where there's a lot of diversity.
Worth every penny spent on those students the Prof., materials, space, administration, communications, and time.
Without students spending their time like this, how else can a business expect to hire college educated employees for close to minimum wage.
Thanks University, for breaking them financially and forcing them to work for me. Of course they have to start below my less educated employees who have actual skills, but college makes sure that my low skilled jobs have plenty of potential applicants.
They learn diversity real well when they get a job under someone who only finished the 8th grade and who's first language is not English. That's equality in action baby.
Move the university to a part of the country where there's a lot of diversity.
Winner by a TKO!
The University of Wisconsin -- South Chicago!
Can we go back to something important?
How 'bout them Packers!
Also, UW-Madison really needs to do something about that weather. It's very Scandi-centric. During entire seasons, all you can see is white, white, cold, frigid white. The sort of weather designed by blond men and women with pale skin.
I fucking HATE diversity. I despise the word. If my name had a D in it I would delete it.
What is a white male high school senior supposed to think when he reads this? Is he really supposed to believe he is being given a fair chance?
What amazes me when I read these stories isn't so much how silly the whole diversity enterprise is getting, how smug its adherents have become, or how many resources or opportunities they squander.
What amazes me is the absolute economy of Christ's teachings and how effectively and productively they have born fruit over thousands of years.
Love thy neighbor as thyself.
"Love thy neighbor as thyself."
This is an example of why, even though I'm an atheist, I'm cool with religion.
Students proposed ideas including giving social action leaders college credit for their volunteer work and changing ethnic studies classes to be purely discussion.
In other words, give the college credit for doing, pretty much nothing other than having a discussion.
A Great Nation Deserves Great:
Art for Everybody (Cartoons and Jazz theory are sufficient)
Education for Everybody (and re-education too)
Health-Care for Everybody (Pass it first!)
Opportunity for Everybody (but only if WE get to redistribute your wealth according to OUR interpretation of our TRUE ideals you bitter clingers)
Yes We Can!
According to the 2000 census, Wisconsin was 91.52% Caucasion. What is the demographic breakdown of the UW and what percentage of minority enrollment would make Mr. Williams happy?
@Lincolntf: Just hope his application essay was entitled "The Diversity of Our Climate" or "Climatic Diversity and You".
The application required him to write on two specific topics and I was blown away by his first drafts. I hoped that he would at least mention that he was the child of two black immigrants but he didn't.
Move the university to a part of the country where there's a lot of diversity.
Ha! Coffee snort-worthy, Paddy! Nicely done. Also, you are rocking that new pirate hat pic, NTTAWWT.
"I hear so much of the pain from students, faculty or staff... People look at me differently because I am x, y or z."
If we lived in an ethnically homogeneous country like Korea or Japan, these same idiots would be desperate to be seen differently.
This kind of prioritizing of time and resources has a directly proportional relationship to the amount of academic insulation one has from the real world, or, alternatively, to the height of your tower and the quality of it's ivory.
From a conservative perspective in which results supersede appearances, I would be focusing more on graduation over enrollment. YMMV
chr1 said: "A Great Nation Deserves..."
Free bicycle use. Don't forget about that. Guess Meade failed at the Madison city council meeting...
These were the two topics for 2010-11 freshman applicants:
Students are asked to respond to the following two prompts:
1. The University of Wisconsin values an educational environment that provides all members of the campus community with opportunities to grow and develop intellectually, personally, culturally, and socially. In order to give us a more complete picture of you as an individual, please tell us about the particular life experiences, perspectives, talents, commitments and/or interests you will bring to our campus. In other words, how will your presence enrich our community?
2. Tell us about your academic goals, circumstances that may have had an impact on your academic performance, and, in general, anything else you would like us to know in making an admission decision.
I was hoping that he would work the angles but nowhere did he mentioned that he was a disadvantaged minority.
He'll learn.
Isn't the intended purpose of college to make you part of the elite, above and separate from the masses. To be more affluent and sophisticated so that you don't have to squat with diversity face to face. Maybe you study it so that you know what to avoid when you get your degree.
I fucking HATE diversity. I despise the word. If my name had a D in it I would delete it.
I'm with Garage and Chancellor Merkel on this one.
" In other words, how will your presence enrich our community?"
It's called tuition. I pay you, and you give me something in return, no?
"changing ethnic studies classes to be purely discussion."
Gotta love it. Anything to keep from working and thinking.
In order to give us a more complete picture of you as an individual, please tell us about the particular life experiences, perspectives, talents, commitments and/or interests you will bring to our campus.
I think I would have to reply with:
How about you tell me what your institution has to offer me in terms of preparing me to become a productive member of society? That is far more important than whether my presence will have some intangible impact on making your student body feel good about themselves.
That is childish. University of Wisconsin-Preschool.
"And am I - an American, born here - an ethnic?"
These days, you have an obligation to hyphenate yourself. I have adopted Canadian-American (after my Canadian grandfather.) It's so much better than white-anglo-saxon-preppy-scum-American.
According to the 2000 census, Wisconsin was 91.52% Caucasion. What is the demographic breakdown of the UW?
UW-Madison enrollment is 75% caucasian, graduated students were 86% caucasian.
and what percentage of minority enrollment would make Mr. Williams happy?
Trick question. Mr. Williams will never be happy.
I have adopted Canadian-American (after my Canadian grandfather.)
This is only socially acceptable in open society because the Canadian government has spent years apologizing for Brian Adams and Celine Dion.
My race? The Boston Marathon, but if NASCAR is on, I'll watch it.
Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate
Why don't they just be more accurate and shorten it to Vice Provost for PC Bullshit?
Diversity, as defined by race, ethnicity, national origin, etc, in and of itself has no innate virtue. Diversity of thought, experience and ideas has some value as it brings different perspectives to problem solving. But, you can get that without necessarily having a multitude of different races and nationalities.
It is the focus on this sort of thing rather than making the educational offerings better in terms of what is taught and learned that keeps the U.S. lagging and slipping internationally. Being in a classroom full of "diverse" people won't make me a better engineer, but learning the principles of engineering better and being able to apply those principles more creatively will. That has nothing to do with diversity.
"Students proposed ideas including giving social action leaders college credit for their volunteer work and changing ethnic studies classes to be purely discussion."
I think all students, especially "ethnic" students, should be issued a diploma upon matriculation. I think all "social action leaders" should be given an advanced degree. I think the University of Wisconsin is comical.
Oh, but the students have it figured out. It's about finding an easier way to get college credits.
"changing ethnic studies classes to be purely discussion."
What are they now?
"...and changing ethnic studies classes to be purely discussion..."
Hmmm, I think this thread might qualify us all for some UW credits.
"These days, you have an obligation to hyphenate yourself."
I'm a RedHeaded-American. Lord knows we've been abused. Beaten, even.
I love the line, "Students proposed ideas including giving social action leaders college credit for their volunteer work and changing ethnic studies classes to be purely discussion."
Yes, of course, because actual grades can cause "so much pain" in students, faculty or staff...
Ann Althouse said...
"Williams will not be happy until UW-Madison is the "national champion."
You mean there's a Diversity Bowl?
PS When I was at Villanova, diversity was represented by the Irish Cultural Society, whose logo was a typical Mick (derby, green coat, red hair) with a mug of beer in his hand and leaning on a keg.
WV "unsot" Alcoholics Anonymous
"Proposed solutions surrounding minority portrayal in media included a minority-centered column in campus publications with the goal of spreading their message to a widespread audience."
Nothing like having a special forum to publicly grind your ax in order to to reduce the attention you draw from others. ???!
It's intersting that the terms "climate" and "diversity" are tell-tale buzzwords to describe the progressive or leftist ideology of obtaining "equality" not for opportuntiy, but of material possessions.
Contrast that with words such as "freedom" and "liberty" often used by conservatives to describe freedom and liberty.
"Vice Provost of Climate and Diversity" - I think that is a punchline for a joke I heard a while back.
Rather than "social action", why aren't they discussing whether anybody's actually learning anything?
Amen, Crack ... Amen.
When I was in grad school, I once went to see the head of Pepsi EMEA . One of the many foreign nationals in my program asked him about diversity. He said - by 2005, 50% of our workforce in the US will be diverse.
We are so screwed.
"The Wisconsin Idea holds that the boundaries of the university should be the boundaries of the state, and that the research conducted at UW–Madison should be applied to solve problems and improve health, quality of life, the environment, and agriculture for all citizens of the state."
This sounds like UW should limit it's student poulation to state residents. Therefore the demographic breakdown of students should mirror that of the state:
Wisconsin Demographics ca 200 by race:
White 91.52%
Black 6.15%
Hispanic 3.35%
Am Indian* 1.30%
Asian 1.92%
NHPI* 0.08%
Too hideously white by far for the sophisticates in Madison. I know, they should import some ethnics for background color and to relieve them of their white guilt!
Hoosier Daddy said...
From a conservative perspective in which results supersede appearances, I would be focusing more on graduation over enrollment. YMMV
I'm pretty sure that's the point of "changing ethnic studies classes to be purely discussion."
Maybe they should try teaching students the skills they need to become productive members of society.
My UW (Washington) has a diversity problem. It's entirely Chinese. It seems to be all the rage for Chinese parents to send their kids to an American school.
The native born kids??....meh...not so much.
....and don't get me started about residency requirements, and tax subsidized tuition.
The good news?? The Chinese don't let their kids major in ethnic studies.
Damon Williams, upon his appointment in 2008, was granted a salary of $150,000 to dish out this bullshit.
In Madison, WI, this is a huge salary. Probably the equivalent of $250,000 or more in New York City.
The taxpayers of Wisconsin should be examining Mr. Williams' actions very closely.
Dan from Madison said...
Laugh now, but if something untoward were to happen to the actual Provost of Climate and Diversity, where would we be without an orderly succession plan in place? Anarchy.
This is only socially acceptable in open society because the Canadian government has spent years apologizing for Brian Adams and Celine Dion.
I'm still waiting for that Glass Tiger apology.
Anne Murray can skate, and I suppose k.d. lang gets a pass, but there will be hell to pay one day for Justin Beiber.
His end of the alphabet focus is very disconcerting.
Paddy O, I symphathize completely. I'm an "N.' Whenever they arrange people alphbetically, we're stuck in the middle. Whenever they go reverse alphabetically, we're in the middle. Just isn't fair.
Everybody is hustling.
The idea that students shoudn't sometimes sit around discussing solutions to problems, in almost any context, is absurd. That's precisely what students do today at certain points, in hard science 'classes' (discussion groups with a teacher's assistant actually at UW) as well as the academic dander that is film studies, for example.
Should these students sit around and figure out different solutions to problems arising in the various drinking games they make up?
Of course.
Should these students sit around and figure out solutions to the problems minorites face?
Of course, as that is obviously there wont.
The answer to bad speech ("people hate you/me because we're a minority and they are evil bigots") is more speech ("bullshit, you're just another student and your race is 99% irrelevent to your peers, the staff, and the faculty so BUCK UP and quit with the childish victimism of imagined despair").
Also, jealousy of Damon Williams salary won't reduce it. I think most of the carping is because his hustle is better than yours.
You Dairy People definitely need to stop looking so mean at other people. And why not buy the world a Coke and sing in perfect harmony? There, it is all solved.
Maybe they should try teaching students the skills they need to become productive members of society.
But society is inherently unfair, and those 'skills' you tout are ineffectual against the racist, oppressive world we live in — so fixing society via higher education is of paramount importance.
Students proposed ideas including giving social action leaders college credit for their volunteer work...
I wonder how many credits you'd get for starting a Tea Party chapter on campus? Or being head of the College Republican?
"Students proposed ideas including giving social action leaders college credit for their volunteer work and changing ethnic studies classes to be purely discussion.
These are the students who go on to become the employees who think they should get paid for surfing Facebook all day.
Also, jealousy of Damon Williams salary won't reduce it. I think most of the carping is because his hustle is better than yours.
Damn right I'm jealous of his salary.
But, I've made a few bucks on that scam over the years.
I've done and re-done the great on-line diversity course probably a dozen times in my career. Same shit rehashed every time. When you put the ideas in actual writing, the diversity biz is worth about four paragraphs, barely a full page.
So, if "ethnic" people are having different experiences, why don't they just form a club, meeting, study group for themselves to talk it out, find camaraderie and share those experiences?
We had tons of clubs in college like this, but I don’t think they were as lame as that sounds. Mostly they had parties, food, dance…
Somebody tried to start a southern club one year, but I don’t think it caught on.
The guy's title should be Vice Provost of We Can't Get Caught Photoshopping Diversity Again.
Ha!
Clay-ipso Facto said...
chr1 said: "A Great Nation Deserves..."
Free bicycle use. Don't forget about that. Guess Meade failed at the Madison city council meeting...
Failed? But Facto, I was on the winning side. I like local government doing good things and this will be a good thing for Madison. But don't call it "free bicycle use." Users pay. Everyone benefits.
I love diversity. God loves it, look at people and butterflies.
I am not so fond of idiocy. Especially in those who vastly over rate their intelligence. Hubris is another trait I dislike.
Trey
"What is a white male high school senior supposed to think when he reads this? Is he really supposed to believe he is being given a fair chance?"
Nope.
My senior son, a white boy beyond the pale, top third of his private HS class, good ACT score, AP classes, acting, singing, blah blah blah, was put on a deferred list.
The letter said the criteria for acceptance included diversity. A buncha the girls in his class got in though. All white.
What do you suppose I told him?
You can't really believe in equality of human beings regardless of race and then ask them what race they are in determining admittance to your group.
Can you imagine the Aryan Brotherhood, or the New Black Panthers not asking? If you ask, it means it affects your decision, and you are racist, period.
I think that should be legal for private, but not publicly funded organizations. And such organizations should not be preaching about diversity.
"What do you suppose I told him?"
Son, sex change surgery has come a long way, and I'll always love you no matter what.
My nephew is Italian-Irish and has dark, long, curly hair. He could be taken for a young Arab or Hispanic. Recenltly, he and his family were amused when they saw his picture was used in a mailing by his college alma mater in an obvious attempt to show its diversity.
Also, his more white looking buddies get PO'ed when they get the extra screening at airports and my nephew does not.
Why can't people be PROUD of their differences and their individuality?
What is intellectual about appeals to mob behavior and blind comformity?
The New Conformity of the left is just as bigotted as any klan meet up. They just have hipper styles.
"What do you suppose I told him?"
Revise his application and check off "gay" & "Eskimo" and "cross-dresser but only on Sundays"? Heh.
The letter said the criteria for acceptance included diversity. A buncha the girls in his class got in though. All white.
If they want diversity, they should admit more males. Aren’t women tipping over the 50% mark at most universities these days?
I have a young cousin who was adopted from China. Her parents had to tell her school to stop using her picture in every piece of marketing material.
How about starting by requiring the same basic academic requirements of all regardless of race, sex, legacy, income or even if the student is an athlete?
I hope that this stuff has gone by the wayside before I send my kids to college. I don't want to have to hand them lists of schools for which I will not pay.
"Go to a school that will educate you or don't go at all."
So, what did AllenS do this morning? Filled out a form.
$3.4 billion Indian Trust Settlement.
On December 21, 2010, The United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted preliminary approval to the Settlement. On December 8, 2010, President Obama signed legislation approving the Settlement and authorizing $3.4 billion in funds.
obama sure likes to spend other peoples money, and Damon Williams sure likes to hand out credits that ain't worth spit.
This sounds like UW should limit its student population to state residents.
Out-of-staters bring plenty of money into the University and State. That's why they are sought after.
Professional Opinion: Get over it.
Giving credit for navel gazing is really counterproductive.
Find a bar and chat about it with your so called friends and get on with life.
Find a support group for x,y, or z and chat about it with your fellow sufferers and get on with life.
But don't charge money and give credit for chatting about life.
I have a young cousin who was adopted from China. Her parents had to tell her school to stop using her picture in every piece of marketing material.
That's kind of funny because Asians don't really count towards "diversity" anyway. What the diversocrats are really talking about is getting blacks and Hispanics.
How about starting by requiring the same basic academic requirements of all regardless of race, sex, legacy, income or even if the student is an athlete?
The voters of the State of California already did that. They passed a referendum banning this crap, but it didn't do a bit of good.
The administrators at the state colleges resorted to ruses to identify their victim classes, primarily by asking applicants to write a weepy essay and identify themselves as belonging to a victim class.
So, AllenS -- are you getting some money?
wv querse
Federal money can be a querse.
Her parents had to tell her school to stop using her picture in every piece of marketing material.
I am not surprised. I have designed materials for colleges and "Photos that show diversity" is one of the main requirements.
Another rule is: a photo of a woman represents everyone. A photo of a man is alienating.
"I hear so much of the pain from students, faculty or staff," Williams said. "People look at me differently because I am x, y or z."
If you don't want the pain, then don't inflict it on yourself. Stop assuming you know how other people see you and stop assuming the worst about others.
Meade: I know you voiced support, but was hoping maybe your taunts about attending the meeting were just to drum up a vocal opposition? Since I'm in Monona, I didn't really figure it was my fight that evening.
You've got the financing entirely backwards, however: "But don't call it "free bicycle use." Users pay. Everyone benefits." Because of the $300,000 commitment from the city Contingency Fund, EVERYONE (in Madison) pays, while USERS (you?) benefit. If users truly paid for it, they wouldn't need the city money.
You got a share of that "free money" slushing around the city coffers like every other special interest? Congratulations! I guess Garage Mahal was right that Tea Partiers only oppose spending that doesn't directly benefit them.
Pogo: Your mistake in sending your child to private school. Much better to choose the shittiest most crime ridden school district and send your kid there. she would have perfect scores, be top of the class and would doubtless be admitted immediately, especially if she were coy about which "ethnic" group she was a member of.
JAL,
I don't know, but if there is a form to fill out, I'm filling it out. Plus, it's only $3.4 billion. Compared to the deficit that obama is currently running, that's nothing. Nobody will even notice.
Party at Allen's house!
My senior son, a white boy beyond the pale, top third of his private HS class, good ACT score, AP classes, acting, singing, blah blah blah, was put on a deferred list.
The letter said the criteria for acceptance included diversity. A buncha the girls in his class got in though. All white.
What do you suppose I told him?
I would tell him that he probably didn't work nearly as hard as those girls did.
Yes, K-12 is rigged for girls. These days, it is taught for girls. More credit for busy work (aka homework) and more bonding exercises (aka group projects).
But one of the big problems that undergraduate education is facing today is that their girls are better qualified than their boys, and as a result, they have to discriminate in favor of the boys, and against the girls, to keep the ratio from going too far female, because at that point, the schools start to lose desirability.
We saw just the opposite problem from what you seem to have - colleges routinely accepting boys who had slightly lower qualifications than the girls who got rejected.
Of course, I would suggest that the gender affirmative action is justified to compensate for the discrimination that the boys faced in K-12. And, how diverse would a student body be, if 2/3 of its members were of one sexual classification?
A great nation has free people. Free people have a government that leaves them the frack alone.
Trey
When I'm busy learning how to design a bridge or a new imaging system, I don't care if my classmates are men, women, or zombies.
Zombies say: "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
If they want diversity, they should admit more males. Aren’t women tipping over the 50% mark at most universities these days?
And that is by giving males preference in admissions.
A lot of colleges right now think that there is some magic number of 55% or so as an upper limit for females, above which desirability of the school crashes. This is for general/liberal arts type schools. Different of course for nursing, education, etc.
I think that the idea, from the girls' point of view, is that if there are too many girls, and too few girls, they won't be able to find a boyfriend, or, that the pressure will be to do so through sexual favors. And that appears to greatly increase the pressure for them to put out for the few decent guys around in order to snag one, at least for the night.
And, no, I am not making this up. I have talked to enough girls going through the college admissions process, and they watch that ratio carefully. Much more than the guys do - I remember how jealous we were of one of the guys in HS who got an acting scholarship at a girls school because they needed male leads. And, no, he wasn't anywhere close to gay, at least not until he had spent 4 years in such an environment. Don't know after that.
I'm confused. The state of Wisconsin is 6 percent Black but UW Madison is only 3 percent Black. Yet the university claims that it supports diversity and affirmative action to overcome past injustices. It almost looks like one of those "not in my backyard" things. Could my data be wrong?
"Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate"
There are some things you just can't parody...
Rabel: Your data is not wrong. The good white people of Wisconsin and the good liberal white people of Madison, Wisconsin very much are in favor of the idea of diversity. Teaching diversity, actually. Talking about diversity, actually.
The idea of diversity, actually.
I am a racial minority in the city in which I dwell. I get along fine with the majority race and they get along fine with me. We are diverse on stilts. Someone from the state of Wisconsin visited me not too long ago and stayed in a hotel and was quick to remark to me that there were certainly a lot of African Americans afoot. He wondered if perhaps there was a convention or some other gathering of African Americans. Lefties from Wisconsin crack me up. They know shit about "diversity."
I'm B positive myself.
Vice-Provost of Climate??? WTF!!!
On the topic of race, it seems many college students are more worried over what they are, rather than who they are.
Sad.
Students proposed ideas including giving social action leaders college credit for their volunteer work and changing ethnic studies classes to be purely discussion.
In other words, "I want my credits for nothing", right.
De-fund all the universities.
Abolish tenure.
End the higher-ed bubble and cleanse this daft poison, all at once.
(I'm only joking a little, by the way.)
I'm a RedHeaded-American.
In other words, you suffer from Gingervitus. You loathsome, unclean daywalker, you.
You loathsome, unclean daywalker, you.
We red-heads dislike the sun.
This post helps my family a lot.
If my son were to be accepted in the March wave of letters, now we'll decline.
UW Madison has made its intent pretty clear, that pale white boys like mine aren't welcome (but tolerated I suppose), and his next 4 years would be swimming upstream the whole time.
Diversity indoctrination, classwork and grading by race, help with internships by race, etc etc.
He just wanted to go to one of the best business schools in the nation. But the U has signaled that getting into that program would also be harder, because of the color of his skin.
No whiggers need apply.
I get it.
So thanks, Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate, you just saved me and my kid 4 years of heartache.
I am quite seriously grateful.
Send a letter about your intent to the Climateovost's boss.
Good idea.
My daughter got some of this crap at Mizzou a few years ago. That was bad enough. At least they tried to hide it a little, and limited the bullshit to Freshman year.
Not often that people spill the beans like this, though. It's like a load was lifted from me.
Move the university to a part of the country where there's a lot of diversity.
University of Wisconsin at Lambeau Stadium
(sorry, just responding to Original Mike's challenge)
Pogo, take comfort in this: with crap like this, they won't long remain one of the best business schools in the nation.
If they are not earning their grade in a class but merely "discussing" things because they are x, y, and z, then they are indeed different.
My son's at the UW now, and hasn't run into too much of this aggravation yet (just wait 'til that newsletter gets up and running?!?). He did dryly note, however, that while a semester abroad does not fulfill the "ethnic studies" requirement, a course in Asian dance does.
"On the topic of race, it seems many college students are more worried over what they are, rather than who they are."
Yeah, how 'bout that?
"We red-heads dislike the sun."
You'll always find me in the shade.
"(sorry, just responding to Original Mike's challenge)"
How 'bout them Packers!
the "ethnic studies" requirement
There is an ethnic studies requirement solely because no one would take the courses otherwise.
I think of it as welfare -- expensive welfare -- for Sociology PhDs.
The Marine Corps solved this problem years ago. They dressed us the same, cut off our hair, swore at us equally, and made us do push ups.
Give them something to worry about besides things that don't matter. There's nothing like shared hatred to build solidarity.
I looked Dr. Williams up on Linkedin. Very impressive.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/damonawilliams
Either his PR people are over reaching or he has an enormously inflated sense of self.
I was amused that he is a "principle" in his own consulting firm. I did not know that one could be a "A basic truth, law, or assumption" (thefreedictionary.com). I guess one can attain that status by being a, "consummate scholar/administrator/thought leader".
Maybe they should try banning the practice of looking at people differently.
Pogo:
If your son takes after you, let him go to UW. Because he will work hard to get what he wants in spite of a few dumb institutional roadblocks.
The path of least resistance is to give in to them. Don't let him do that. Tell him to smile all the way while he beats them at their own game.
@AJ Lynch
True, that.
And could be fun!
beevalo: thank you for the link to this pompous asshole's linkedin song to himself. We note with interest that it is illiterate with subjects and verbs going their own way. What a travesty, what a revelation.
Thanks. Noted.
Is it awkward for you, Althouse, when you mock a colleague?
We solved this problem this year by applying for admittance at a Historically Black College.
The grade requirements are very low. Like SAT: Critical Thinking – 430/Math - 400 and a GPA of 2.3.
We figure our daughter will be able to test out of about 3 years of tuition fees, graduate Summa and, since the state has a guaranteed transfer and acceptance of degrees from one state school to another in-state college, go to the grad school of her choice - Georgia Tech where she can finally get into the actual classes that she will need to become successful.
That linkeldin is a perfect example of the other meaning of PHD (piled high and deep).
VW: bulles - I think they left and "i" out of it.
I know I'm very LTTP here, but I had to chime in on a couple of things:
Is it awkward for you, Althouse, when you mock a colleague?
I'm not sure that a professor should consider the Vice Provost of anything as a "colleague." Non-teaching administrators are hardly on the same page as actual teachers in terms of fulfilling the original mission of the school; many times, they're even working at cross purposes.
I'm a RedHeaded-American. Lord knows we've been abused. Beaten, even.
I'm glad someone brought up the redhead thing, because I've often wondered how it is that one physical trait--skin color, in the case of this nation--was designated as trumping all else. (And you can say, "Well, our ancestors did it," but my response would be that our ancestors were idiots, and we're not obligated to continue in their idiocy. If our ancestors jumped off a cliff, etc...
But I've often wondered what would have happened if another physical trait had been chosen to reign supreme, and red hair came to mind. What would the history of America have looked like if our ancestors had made this equally ridiculous decision?
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