Move is to comply with state law passed by Governor Ron DeSantis that prohibits public funding of DEI programs

Archived version: https://archive.ph/2NkY3

    • @[email protected]
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      9 months ago

      They’re not irrelevant though and thinking they are shows that you don’t understand the issue.

      In the case of gender, DEI programs should actually be helping men at this point because women are attending and graduating college at a much higher rate than men. But the programs haven’t caught up.

      As for race, imagine a foot race where a white runner and a black runner are competing. The white runner starts 50 feet ahead of the black runner because the white runner isn’t dealing with the effects of socal inequities (things such as school funding, quality of teachers, extracurricular activities availability, stable home life, jobs, etc). So a black student of equal talent, but worse grades on paper has had to work much harder than the white student to get ahead. DEI programs are trying to make up for the fact that a black student has had poorer access to proper education.

      Because without DEI, those white kids who statically have access to better schools would always come out ahead when strictly comparing test scores.

      These programs also affect white students in poverty by helping them out too.

        • @[email protected]
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          59 months ago

          It’s not about someone coming last making first place. It’s about recognizing that grades and school performance is very much a function of the opportunities you’re afforded, the quality of education that’s available to you, and the support you receive. Hundreds of years of institutional oppression have prevented that kind of quality and support from reaching POC communities.

        • @[email protected]
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          39 months ago

          Grades aren’t the only thing that determine your potential. Being in a diverse school with others from different backgrounds helps expand your viewpoints and actually prepares you for a larger life after academia.

          One of the many problems with our rural states and towns.

        • @[email protected]
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          9 months ago

          You wouldn’t let me into the olympics on the basis of the fact that I wasn’t a runner for 99% of my life

          Of course not, but we’re more likely to put you on a Wheaties box over someone with similar results because you’ve overcome more adversity. It was more difficult for you. You achieved more.

          We also might be more likely to start up a running program in your town, because clearly we’re missing out on great runners, who were never able to succeed because they were never able to get off the starting block.

            • @[email protected]
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              9 months ago

              So, that’s the actual problem. If you don’t look at factors like wealth, race, primary language or gender, you can congratulate yourself in your process not being biased, but you will see biased results. Like it or not, people start in different places and face different obstacles, and the goal is to try to adjust for these so the results will be merit based or at least fair, and not racist or sexist.

              If we’re playing baseball and I start off third base and score, is that the same merit as you getting up to bat, getting on base, working your way around the bases, and also scoring? Any coach would judge you to have shown higher merit despite our scores being the same

                • @[email protected]
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                  9 months ago

                  Being a specific race doesn’t make you better at science

                  Exactly, so why are the results so lopsided? Being brought up in an environment where you had less education opportunities for whatever reason, less opportunity to show your worth, can make you appear worse at science, when if you had the same opportunity, you might show our were as good or better. Why should we settle for good scientists being left behind by the circumstances of their birth or upbringing. If they’re good, they’re good.

                  Ok, fine, maybe a better example is:

                  • I start at third base and run home for a score
                  • you start at bat, get on base, work your way around the bases to third …. Then the inning is over as I strike out

                  You didn’t score, so should you be cut from the team? I scored and helped the team win, so do I deserve more credit? I didn’t show whether I could bat, get on base, or work my way around the bases. Am I better because I scored, or are you better because you showed more merit at more things, overcame a more difficult challenge, show a better likelihood of more contribution to the team over the season? The coach should consider all the facts before deciding who to cut, not just the score of one game

                  discrimination mixed with wishful thinking

                  None of this is meant to give anyone a free ride, only an adjustment and only where appropriate

                  I recently had this conversation with my brother where he voiced a similar opinion to you.

                  • At his company they made a big push for more women in engineering and management and disregarded merit. The result was unqualified people, lost confidence in corporate leadership, and more ingrained biases. No one wants that
                  • At the last several companies I work for, they also recognize a need for more women in engineering and management. They recruit more strongly from nontraditional sources, encourage stronger networking in women in leadership, put more effort into fighting discrimination throughout the company, and have given themselves more opportunities to hire and promote more women. I followed my manager to a new job because she is outstanding. She had the opportunity to show her merit despite the fact that she was born in another country, didn’t speak the same language, is “the wrong gender”, and didn’t even have the same economic system
      • phillaholic
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        59 months ago

        The entire thing is based on their refusal to think anything other than the starting point is equal. When you base your view on that, everything they are crying about makes sense. It explains a lot. They think being gay or Trans is a choice too.

    • @[email protected]
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      89 months ago

      No, you even the field for everyone so that academic progress can happen based on talent and work.

      • @[email protected]
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        79 months ago

        Sure, but that isn’t going to happen overnight. School DEI programs are the best we have until schools are funded equally across the board. But that’s never going to happen, especially not if the Republicans get their way with Project 2025 and the school voucher program they want to implement.