The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has taken a significant step by eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statements from its faculty hiring process.
Fox News reported that the decision, confirmed on Sunday, marks MIT as the first among elite institutions to make such a move.
A spokesperson for the university confirmed to UnHerd that MIT has decided to remove the requirement for prospective faculty members to submit a DEI statement during the hiring process.
The spokesperson further clarified to Fox that this decision, spearheaded by MIT’s president Sally Kornbluth, has garnered support from the Provost, Chancellor, and all six academic deans.
Kornbluth emphasized the institution’s commitment to tapping into the full breadth of human talent and attracting the very best to MIT.
She stated, “My goals are to tap into the full scope of human talent, to bring the very best to MIT, and to make sure they thrive once here.”
“We can build an inclusive environment in many ways, but compelled statements impinge on freedom of expression, and they don’t work,” Kornbluth added.
MIT mandated prior to this change that candidates applying for faculty positions submit a statement showcasing their understanding of challenges related to DEI.
The institution also required that candidates detailed their track record of working with diverse groups, along with their plans to advance DEI within the university, as outlined by MIT’s Communication Lab.
A 2023 survey carried out by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), an advocacy group championing freedom of speech, revealed that “large portions of MIT faculty and students are afraid to express their views in various academic settings.”
The findings shed light on a concerning trend within the academic community.
Critics of mandatory DEI statements in university hiring have been vocal in their opposition. This practice, adopted by many higher education institutions since the early 2010s, has drawn considerable backlash from advocates of free speech and academic freedom, FOX reported.
FIRE has previously cautioned that these diversity statement requirements “function as ideological litmus tests,” potentially jeopardizing the career prospects of faculty members who dissent from prevailing viewpoints on DEI.
The foundation’s warnings highlight the contentious nature of this issue within academic circles.
FOX noted that a Harvard Law School professor made a compelling case for the elimination of mandatory DEI statements within the Ivy League in a recent article featured in the Harvard Crimson.
Randall L. Kennedy, renowned for his scholarship on the left and dedication to social justice causes, expressed his reservations regarding these statements, arguing that they impose faculty and staff to a “toe a political line.”
Kennedy emphasized, “I am a scholar on the left committed to struggles for social justice. The realities surrounding mandatory DEI statements make me wince. The practice of demanding them ought to be abandoned, both at Harvard and beyond.”
Resist The Mainstream reported last month that a swift vote by a five-person committee to repeal a key DEI policy within the University of North Carolina (UNC) Board of Governors could lead the school system to join other major universities in dismantling their diversity offices.
The proposed policy suggests the elimination of DEI roles held by senior administration officials, mirroring similar actions taken at state universities in Florida and Texas.
It mandates that schools must submit a report by September 1 certifying full compliance “with the University’s commitment to institutional neutrality and nondiscrimination required by law and this policy and shall describe in substance the actions taken to achieve compliance.”
The new proposed policy also said the report should outline the actions taken to achieve compliance.
The post MIT Becomes First To Eliminate DEI Hiring Requirement: ‘They Don’t Work’ appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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