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Diversity statements will no longer be used in University of Michigan faculty hiring, promotion and tenure, a move applauded by critics who have called the practice "litmus tests" that limit diversity of thought while diversity advocates said the process was "preordained" and dishonest. Provost Laurie McCauley announced the decision Thursday based on a recommendation from a UM faculty working group to end diversity statements. But the recommendation is "deceptive," coming after the regents rejected a previous recommendation to keep the diversity statements, a faculty leader said. Diversity statements are documents written by faculty job candidates that let applicants explain to a search committee the distinct experiences they would bring to the university along with their commitment to diversity. The statements help search committees identify applicants "who have professional skills, experience and/or willingness to engage in activities that would enhance campus diversity and equity efforts," according to a University of California at San Diego statement referenced by UM's Center for Research on Learning & Teaching. McCauley's announcement came hours before the Board of Regents is scheduled to meet and a protest is planned beforehand at UM President Santa Ono's house. Many in the UM community are concerned the regents may dismantle a multimillion dollar diversity, equity and inclusion effort built after the school was at the center of a decade-long national debate around affirmative action in higher education, and DEI programs have been under attack across the nation.. "Diversity, equity and inclusion are three of our core values at the university," McCauley said in the University Record, an internal UM publication for faculty and staff, in announcing the end of diversity statements. "Our collective efforts in this area have produced important strides in opening opportunities for all people. As we pursue this challenging and complex work, we will continuously refine our approach.” But there is more that happened in this process, UM Faculty Senate Chair Rebekah Modrak wrote on the University Record page under the announcement. After the regents called for diversity statements to be banned last summer, McCauley formed a faculty committee to review diversity statements in the spirit of shared governance that came up with a different recommendation, Modrak wrote. "My understanding is that the committee’s first report recommended that the use of diversity statements should be up to each unit, a recommendation that honors our decentralization, independence, and academic freedom," Modrak wrote. "The Regents rejected that report and central leadership didn’t support their own faculty committee. Sending a committee back to work to give a second report with preordained results is neither honest nor respectful of faculty expertise. The University Record’s erasure of the Regents’ autocratic hand in this process is also deceptive." Regents will not vote on the provost's action, but may discuss it during the meeting, said Regent Sarah Hubbard, one of two Republicans on the eight-member UM board. "I applaud the provost for ending the practice of requiring diversity statements," said Hubbard. "This policy change removes a barrier to diversity of thought on campus by eliminating the ideological litmus test." No action is expected during Thursday's meeting around other DEI issues, added Hubbard, who previously said the regents have been looking for a long time at the university's DEI efforts and want to realign funds closer to student scholarships. Any budget decisions wouldn't happen until next year when budgetary decisions get made, she said. Even so, hundreds of students, faculty and staff demonstrated on campus earlier this week to show support for the university's DEI programs, and others are planning to attend the protest organized by UM's Black Student Union before the regents meeting and show up to the official meeting. UM's decision to discontinue diversity statements came after the statements were also eliminated in May at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and in June at Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In June, UM's provost charged the eight-member faculty working group to examine diversity statements, though the university did not have an institutional policy on the statements but units did have the discretion to ask for them. The working group recommended the end of the statements after reviewing other policies and surveying more than 2,000 faculty members. “Critics of diversity statements perceive them as expressions of personal identity traits, support of specific ideology or opinions on socially-relevant issues, and serve as a ‘litmus test’ of whether a faculty member’s views are politically acceptable,” the working group wrote in its report. “Thus, as currently enacted, diversity statements have the potential to limit viewpoints and reduce diversity of thought among faculty members.” The working group said it acknowledged the concerns. "But, well-written diversity statements do not necessarily require expression of one’s identity, and they need not express one's beliefs or stances on socially-charged issues," the working group wrote. "Instead, well-written diversity statements contain reflections of how identity has shaped a faculty member’s approach with their students, how they work with their colleagues, and how they interact with society. These are desirable features of current and future U-M faculty members, and this information should be considered when potential faculty are hired and current faculty are promoted." The work group also offered two other recommendations, including that the university "can and must" incorporate of content about DEI into teaching, research and service statements. "Through this incorporation, the problematic features of diversity statements can be eliminated, while the useful and necessary information that exists in diversity statements can be saved and placed where it more naturally belongs," the group wrote in its report. However, UM did not adopt those recommendations. UM's decision to discontinue diversity statements followed other steps the university has taken in recent months that supporters said will create an environment that expands diverse views on campus. They include the regents' controversial adoption last month of a policy on institutional neutrality that prohibits some officials from taking public stances on political and social issues not related to the internal governance of the university. Last month the Faculty Senate passed a resolution censuring the Board of Regents and accusing the regents of "increasingly exhibiting authoritarian tendencies, and silencing free speech. ©2024 The Detroit News. Visit detroitnews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Major changes on how much political donors can help finance election campaigns are off the table for the rest of the year. Login or signup to continue reading The federal government has been unable to reach a deal with the coalition on setting a $20,000 limit on how much an individual can donate to candidates, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher says. There was hope the reforms could pass federal parliament by the end of the year, with Thursday being the last sitting day before MPs and senators leave Canberra for the summer break. Senator Gallagher said she was confident a deal could be struck in the new year before the next election, due to be held by May. "We want to have donation caps, we haven't been able to land it," she told ABC Radio on Thursday. "We will try and deal with this in February because we're really, really, very keen to get this done before the election. "We want to get big money out of politics." The laws would be due to come into effect by mid-2026, and would not be used during the upcoming election. The reforms would also see donations of more than $1000 forced to be disclosed in real time. Political parties would have a spending cap of $90 million, while special interest groups such as unions or Climate 200 would have a limit of $11 million. Concerns had also been raised about an $800,000 cap per electorate. Senator Gallagher said Special Minister of State Don Farrell would continue negotiations on the electoral reforms in coming months. "We haven't been able to land it in this week, there were some last minute amendments," she said. "Senator Farrell will ... reach out over summer and try, there's a lot of bills that will still be important." Australian Associated Press DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!Pelicans vs. Grizzlies Injury Report Today – December 27
URUMQI (XINHUA) – For decades, Xu Shuangmin had barely ventured beyond her community, confined to a comfortable five-kilometre (km) radius in the central city of Wuhan. But at the age of 67, and fresh off her retirement, she stunned everyone with a decision to travel 4,000km northwest, embarking on a new chapter as a volunteer teacher. In September 2021, Xu joined a national silver-age teacher action plan, an initiative launched by China’s Ministry of Education to tap into the wealth of experience and knowledge of retired educators to boost the educational quality of universities in the western regions. Retiring from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan, Hubei Province, Xu started volunteering at the Karamay campus of China University of Petroleum-Beijing in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which has drawn 140 retired teachers like Xu from around the country. The plan comes as China’s population continues to age rapidly. According to the ministry, by 2025, the number of people over 60 in China will exceed 300 million, coinciding with a peak in teacher retirements. Most of the retired teachers come from the economically developed large cities in the central and eastern regions. However, they were not afraid of Xinjiang’s dry climate, sandy weather, and relatively modest living facilities. Xu made just one request: to be allowed to cook in the dormitory, because she likes light meals and cannot eat strong-flavoured local dishes. Despite being volunteers, the teachers work with great energy, rivaling those half their age. Take 63-year-old Zhong Dakang, for instance. He works overtime and is frequently seen engrossed at his office computer throughout the day. Due to his dedication, he often forgets to take his blood-pressure pills. Chen Xiaohe, 70, is a retired teacher at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Having difficulty walking following a car accident, he still enjoys standing in front of a class. Chen even stayed at the Karamay campus during the winter and summer vacations, preparing lessons and teaching materials. He has extended his initial one-year volunteering contract to three years. The praise he received from his students might be the reason behind his decision to extend his stay. The course he teaches – “Socialist Market Economy” – has often been lauded for its “clarity” and being “easy to comprehend.” ABOVE & BELOW: Volunteer teachers Chen Xiaohe; and Dai Xilong deliver lectures at the Karamay campus of China University of Petroleum-Beijing in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. PHOTO: XINHUA PHOTO: XINHUA The petroleum university has a history of over 70 years, but its Karamay campus in Xinjiang is relatively new, having only started admitting undergraduates in 2016. When Sun Xudong, a retired English teacher from the university’s Beijing campus, arrived in 2020, the Karamay campus had just begun recruiting English majors. “At that time, the courses, materials, and teams were all started from scratch,” said 64-year-old Sun, recalling the early busy days in Karamay. He took the lead in making the teaching syllabus, setting up the translation discipline, and managing the recruitment and training of master’s students. “I hope to contribute my efforts to the education here and help more students realise their dreams,” Sun said. “Go where your country needs you the most.” This slogan, once a call for the educated youth after the founding of New China in 1949, resonates anew with today’s silver-haired educators. “I initially came to Karamay with the goal of educating students, but over the past three years, I’ve come to realise that I, too, am learning and growing,” Xu said. The city of Karamay was once a typical desert settlement, but in the past decades, it has been transformed into a thriving oil hub. This achievement can be attributed to the dedication of several generations of oil workers who persevered through supply shortages and harsh weather conditions, devoting their lives to the country’s oil industry and local development. Xu recalled a letter to her elder sister, in which she said that, amidst the strong force-10 winds, and inspired by the determination of the oil workers, she had gained a true understanding of the slogan about going where the country needs you the most. The term “Silver-haired Power” has emerged as one of China’s top 10 buzzwords this year. It means that the vitality of the elderly should not be hindered by ageing, as they deserve care and happiness, as well as opportunities to continue making contributions to society. Xu and other retired teachers are the shining examples of such silver-haired power. While many elderly Chinese people choose to spend their retirement looking after their grandchildren or travelling around the world, they have chosen a different path. By volunteering in Xinjiang, they are employing their wealth of experience and dedication to aid the development and talent cultivation of this remote region. In the run-up to International Volunteer Day on December5, the silver-age volunteer teachers have come under the spotlight. In September, China’s National Working Commission on Ageing has proposed the establishment of a national team of silver-age volunteers, integrating it into the coordinated development of the country’s eastern and western regions, while guiding elderly intellectuals to contribute to the economic and social development of less-developed areas. “I believe that if our parents were alive today and knew that I am volunteering in Xinjiang, they would feel proud of me,” Xu said in the letter to her sister.