Horrific week in #Florida for those of us fighting for #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion #DEI. Interesting facts have painted a target on our back at #USF. We have spent the most (mostly federal dollars) on DEI initiatives of any state university. Normally thars something to be proud of. Now we are scrambling not to be punished for it.
#fascism
#racism
The faculty senate has held townhall meetings on our campuses. They were spirited but only 10s of us participated in one of the biggest US #universities. Still, strategy is developing.
We need to be the voice of reason because our administrators cannot be brave (at least according to them). We need to communicate strongly and concisely that these new demands are #racist. We need to help our students #organize. They are scared, and not sure what to do to stave off censorship from the government. And white professors with tenure like me need to step up and take the government's censorship punches.
We need to be truthful to the #public. #DeSantis' actions threaten to demerit the stare university system here, one of the most affordable in the country. They are trashing what so many Floridians are investing in for their children and grandchildren. Those investments will lose their value. #UniversityOfFlorida had climbed to a top 5 public university. #USF entered the top 50, even higher for research funds generated. They will fall (if one cares about rankings). #FloridaPrepaid
As strategy develops, I feel we are making some mistakes too. We are not speaking loud enough, forcing us into defensive positions. Some of us are strategizing for the next 2 years thinking that this is one man running for #president and not a social movement toward #totalitarianism as the recent re-election numbers of this despot suggest. He controls every branch of our #government and appears truly #authoritarian. We need to strategize for the long haul.
Most of all we NEED other #universities and bodies like the #AmericanAssociationOfUniversityProfessors to speak out against movements to harm DEI policies. We will be penalized if we speak out, but other universities can and should say something strongly. Start campaigning against this blueprint for the future. It is a difficult chess game because the argument has been made successfully to the public that DEI is anti-academic freedom. It is not. It is simply one way to express #AcademicFreedom.
To end on a lighter note, I suggested changing my Fall 2023 course "Stable Isotope Geology" to "Different Earth Isotopes - Current Research Techniques." If 80% of our courses share that acronym, it will be hard for the government to #censor us. #GoodTrouble
@Brad_Rosenheim That's just going to get a bunch of Republicans mad about geology 😊
On second thought, I guess they already are...