A reader wishing to remain anonymous sent me this job ad, which is genuine. It’s for a biology position at the University of Hartford, though you can’t even see what area they’re hiring in until you wade through the DEI stuff at the beginning. And after that there is more DEI material. I reproduce the whole ad because I wanted to count words devoted to academic effort versus diversity effort.
Assistant Professor of Biology, Tenure Track (2022-2023)
Please see Special Instructions for more details.
The University of Hartford employs full-time faculty who bring significant skills, experience, knowledge and empathy to recruit, inspire, support and retain our diverse student body now and in the future. At least 34% of our undergraduate students are from minority groups who are U.S. citizens, an increasing number of these students are the first in their families to attend college, and all of our students need to be prepared to thrive in and contribute to a diverse society. Candidates for faculty positions should include in their materials a short essay demonstrating that they are conversant with some of the literature on inclusive pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching, and so on, and describing how their teaching practice could meet the needs of the diverse population of students at the University of Hartford, focusing, in particular, on pedagogical approaches that support student success for those who are new to college and/or whose cultural background includes experience with systemic oppression due to race, gender, or other factors. If relevant, candidates should also comment on research, scholarship, or creative activity that will contribute to the diversity, equity and inclusion goals to which the University of Hartford is committed. In addition, since the University is committed to anti-racism, candidates should demonstrate in their statements knowledge of what it means to be anti-racist and, if possible, to provide example of their own anti-racist values and actions. It is recommended that candidates approach this statement thoughtfully and use specific examples to illustrate their diversity statement. A review of applicant diversity statements will precede that of any other application materials.
The entire first section is about diversity and the prospective candidate’s commitment to it, demonstrations of it, and philosophy of antiracism.
I’ve put the last sentence in bold because, as with the University of California, if you don’t make the cut with your diversity statement, your application won’t be considered further. That already shows the University’s overweening priorities. I’ve already pointed out the problems with this, including that extracurricular activities that benefit society—like outreach, writing popular books, lecturing, like T.H. Huxley, to people from lower socioeconomic classes, and so on—don’t count. You must have a record of their commitment to race and gender diversity, a track record of activism in these areas, and, most bizarre, a “knowledge of what it means to be anti-racist”. In fact, there are many ways to construe “anti-racist”, one of which is Kendi’s definition that you actually have to be engaged in antiracist activism and/or expression. If you don’t speak or act, you’re a racist.
“I define an antiracist as someone who is expressing an antiracist idea or supporting an antiracist policy with their actions.”
I suspect that if you don’t conform to the University’s preexisting views on diversity and the nature of anti-racism, no soup for you!
Posting Details
| Job Title | Assistant Professor of Biology, Tenure Track (2022-2023) |
|---|---|
| Rank | Assistant Professor |
| Tenure Information | Tenure Track |
| Job Description |
The Department of Biology at the University of Hartford has an opening for a tenure track Assistant Professor starting in August 2022.
|
| Responsibilities |
The candidate is expected to be a broadly trained Biologist who can specialize in teaching the Anatomy and Physiology sequence. Additional teaching responsibilities will depend upon the candidate’s specific area of expertise. There will also be opportunities to teach in our innovative Interdisciplinary Studies (UIS) curriculum.
The candidate is expected to develop an independent research program that can involve undergraduate students and will lead to publications. Service activities including advising and participation in recruitment and retention efforts are expected. The candidate is also expected to demonstrate a commitment to working with a diverse student population.
|
| Required Qualifications |
Applicants should have a Ph.D. (advanced ABD will be considered) in Biology or related fields. Prior teaching and post-doctoral experience are preferred.
|
| Preferred Qualifications | |
| Diversity Statement |
EEO/AA/M/F/D/V. |
| University Information |
The University of Hartford offers the personal attention associated with a small college enhanced by the expertise, breadth and intellectual excitement of a university. Students at the University of Hartford find success in a learning environment that both challenges and mentors them. Our academic mission is to engage students in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to thrive in, and contribute to, a pluralistic, complex world. The full text of our academic mission can be seen at http://www.hartford.edu. The University of Hartford is located within the greater Hartford area, which is rich in cultural and recreational activities, and is a short drive from metropolitan Boston and New York.
|
| College Information |
The College of Arts and Sciences is the University’s largest college with 23 undergraduate majors, 29 minors, 5 graduate programs, and many interdisciplinary offerings. The College includes a faculty of 110 teachers and scholars, 22 staff, and a student body of 1,000 undergraduate and 400 graduate students.
|
| Posting Number | F113P |
|---|---|
| Open Date | |
| Close Date | |
| Open Until Filled | Yes |
| Special Instructions to Applicants |
The University of Hartford employs full-time faculty who bring significant skills, experience, knowledge and empathy to recruit, inspire, support and retain our diverse student body now and in the future. At least 34% of our undergraduate students are from minority groups who are U.S. citizens, an increasing number of these students are the first in their families to attend college, and all of our students need to be prepared to thrive in and contribute to a diverse society. Candidates for faculty positions should include in their materials a short essay demonstrating that they are conversant with some of the literature on inclusive pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching, and so on, and describing how their teaching practice could meet the needs of the diverse population of students at the University of Hartford, focusing, in particular, on pedagogical approaches that support student success for those who are new to college and/or whose cultural background includes experience with systemic oppression due to race, gender, or other factors. If relevant, candidates should also comment on research, scholarship, or creative activity that will contribute to the diversity, equity and inclusion goals to which the University of Hartford is committed. In addition, since the University is committed to anti-racism, candidates should demonstrate in their statements knowledge of what it means to be anti-racist and, if possible, to provide example of their own anti-racist values and actions. It is recommended that candidates approach this statement thoughtfully and use specific examples to illustrate their diversity statement. A review of applicant diversity statements will precede that of any other application materials.
|
In total, there are 1153 words in the ad. Of these, 377 are devoted to the university’s commitment to diversity and the diversity requirements the candidate must meet. (I have not counted the “Special instructions to applicants” at the bottom, since it reprises what’s at the top.) There are 119 words devoted to the academic qualifications for applying. The ratio of diversity requirements to academic requirements is thus 377/119 or 3.17 to 1. (If you include the duplicated “special instructions”, the ratio becomes 5.36 to 1.)
Does this somehow reflect the weight that universities are putting on diversity over academic aims or requirements? Perhaps not, but the imbalance between academic and diversity qualifications does tell me that the University of Hartford values the latter more than the former. And this reflects the increasing tendency of American universities to adopt a mission of social engineering rather than of teaching and promoting learning and the ability to think.
Candidates that don’t share our newly acquired religion need not apply.
Sadly, true by the look of things.
“Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness, Thank You.”
I can think of only three possible explanations of this extraordinary job advertisement. (1) The position is available only to applicants from the BIPOC category, but the University of Hartford cannot state that openly because it is illegal. (2) The department advertising the position has fallen into the hands of
performative wokies, probably young and white. (3) The department is headed by Titania McGrath.
concur
I have to wonder, too, whether BIPOC candidates find the whole thing offensive hoop-jumping. It isn’t as if there is a box to check as a BIPOC candidate that let’s you skip providing your wokeness credentials. So here they are, having to perform their diversity to people who are probably as you suggest in option (2). I know I’d be over it.
–
(3) made me lose a bit of tea and a keyboard.
I’m wondering if our host, if this was an evolution ad, would even get a look. Could most people even lower themselves enough to check all these boxes without engaging in some level of exaggeration?
They might just as well put “Applicants must be upper/middle class and fully conversant with all current upper/middle class shibboleths.”
Nothing about being an equal opportunity employer, and that they don’t discriminate? Are they encouraging minorities to apply?
A lot of administrations are increasingly setting aside their universities’ primary purpose, to educate, in attempts to appease every group that puts pressure on them, from state legislatures to angry students to woke movements.
To be fair, it takes real courage to stand up to it all. And correcting sexism and racism were necessary since about 50 years ago. But when those goals start conflicting with and displacing the core mission, then the quality of education begins to decline.
That Anatomy & Physiology prof’s career will likely be sunk as soon as the chapter on male and female anatomy comes up.
My A&P prof was a very conservative woman from India. When I wished her “happy holidays” she told me I was being too PC. That was over 20 years ago!
I have an alternative explanation. This is actually a very good job advertisement if the student body at Hartford includes an out of control woke mob. It says “if you are the sort of person who prefers teaching biology to writing essays about inclusive pedagogy and culturally responsive teaching, it’s best for everybody if you keep away, because our students will probably destroy you.”
While the woke:job information ratio might be 5.36: 1 this sort of ratio is standard in many job ads even without the diversity stuff. Jobs at my university in NZ usually include about 5 pages of bulls**t about “our values”, “our strategy” etc (which includes some diversity stuff) before half a page telling you what the job is. Too many HR idiots is probably the problem but at least they haven’t been allowed to pre-vet applications yet
At my university in Australia too. I suspect this is coming from university management, who think they can impose values from the top down.
In my earlier instars, I would apply for faculty positions at a variety of universities and colleges. A curious thing was that there are quite a few historically Catholic places which said that you needed to include a statement on your relationship with Catholicism (or something like that). I wrote pure pablum, and always got an interview. That reason being that having the statement was absolutely required for the university hierarchs to grant interviews, and not everyone put in a statement and so they weren’t interviewed.
But once on campus, it was fine. Not a word was said about Catholicism and I could talk about evolution all I wanted.
This makes me think there has to be an opportunity for enterprising writers conversant in woke-speak to write, for a fee, DEI essays for job applicants.
In fact, they already exist! I know of at least one.
(randomly mentions that Catholicism doesn’t have a problem, religiously, with evolution)
Oh how we felt superior when the Enemy (in 60’s Science Fiction, for instance) saddled their military with Political Commissars.
“Here’s a thread of just some of the statements Labour Party politicians have made recently when asked about women’s rights and spaces against the backdrop of an increasing number of males who identify as women. First up, Sir Keir Starmer”
https://twitter.com/ripx4nutmeg/status/1442783035389325313
Yes, the situation with Labour is not encouraging: https://www.politics.co.uk/news/2021/09/20/labour-mp-rosie-duffield-says-labour-must-clarify-position-on-gender-self-identification/
Wow. No wonder they can’t win an election.
Yup, getting 0.001% of the population onside is not enough, surprisingly.
Apparently, proper grammar and correct use of the English language is also not a priority. The writing is a mess!