Education
Texas’ ban on diversity, equity and inclusion led to the layoffs of more than 100 employees at state universities
Texas is one of five states that recently passed laws regarding DEI programs. At least 20 other persons are considering it.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – A ban on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in higher education has led to the layoffs of more than 100 staff on Texas college campuses, a move that has been echoed or expected in lots of other states where lawmakers are implementing similar policies in years a very important election 12 months.
Universities across Texas rushed to implement the changes after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill into law last 12 months. On April 2, the chancellor of the 52,000-student University of Texas at Austin – one of the largest college campuses in the US – sent an email saying the school was closing the Department of Campuses and Community Engagement and eliminating jobs to comply with the ban, which entered into force on January 1.
More than 60 employees at the University of Texas at Austin have been laid off because of this of the law, according to the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors. The group said it had compiled a listing based on the staff affected and that the number may very well be higher. The university authorities refused to confirm the number of positions eliminated.
In response to questions from The Associated Press, officials at other schools indicated that between Texas A&M University in College Station, a complete of 36 positions were eliminated; Texas Tech University at Lubbock; Texas State University at San Marcos; University of Houston; Sam Houston State University in Huntsville; and Sul Ross State University in Alpine. Officials said nobody was released; people were assigned to latest job positions, some layoffs and vacancies were closed.
At the starting of the week, the authorities of the University of Texas at Dallas announced that roughly 20 jobs could be laid off in accordance with the law. University officials declined to comment on what number of of those positions are currently filled.
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican, praised the University of Texas’ actions in a post on social media platform X. “This is a victory for common sense and proof that the Legislature’s actions are working,” Phelan wrote.
Texas is one of five states that recently passed laws regarding DEI programs. At least 20 other persons are considering it.
Florida was the first to enact a ban last 12 months, with the vocal support of then-Republican presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis, who often derides DEI and similar diversity efforts as “woke” policies of the left. In response to the law, the University of Florida announced more than a dozen layoffs last month.
University of Wisconsin regents reached an agreement with Republican lawmakers in December to cut DEI positions on the system’s two dozen campuses in exchange for getting funding for workers raises and construction projects. The agreement imposed a hiring freeze on diversity-related positions until 2026 and reallocated more than 40 diversity-related positions to focus on “student success.”
Republican lawmakers who oppose DEI programs say they’re discriminatory and promote left-wing ideology. Some hope this issue will resonate with voters this election 12 months. Democratic DEI advocates say the programs are needed to ensure colleges meet the needs of increasingly diverse student populations. The party’s lawmakers have introduced about two dozen bills in 11 states that will require or promote DEI initiatives.
Texas’ anti-DEI bill, which Abbott enthusiastically signed into law last 12 months, prohibits training and activities conducted “with respect to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation.” Additionally, the law, also often called SB17, prohibits employees from making employment decisions based on race, sex, color or ethnic origin and prohibits the promotion of “differential” or “preferential” treatment or “special” worker advantages to people based on these categories.
SB17 states that the ban doesn’t apply to teaching academic courses and research. That’s why Professor Aquasia Shaw was so surprised when she heard last week that her supervisor was not going to renew her contract. Shaw stated that she was not given a reason for the termination, but given the timing, she suspects it’s due to the latest law.
Shaw taught classes at the intersection of sociology, sports and cultural studies at the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Her faculty page on the university’s website states that her interests include “sociology of sport and cultural studies, sport management and diversity, social inclusion and social justice.” The course she taught this semester was titled Race and Sports in African American Life. However, she said she has not been involved in any DEI initiatives beyond teaching.
“I was under the impression that teaching and research were protected, so… I try to wrestle with that thought and deny that that couldn’t be the reason I was targeted,” she said.
In March, Republican state Sen. Brandon Creighton, the creator of SB17, sent a letter to the boards of regents of public universities across the state, inviting them to testify in May on changes made to achieve compliance. He included a warning that renaming programs reasonably than repurposing them wouldn’t be sufficient.
Creighton’s office didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment.
The bill’s impact was felt in Texas even before it went into effect. In anticipation of this, officials at the University of Texas at Austin modified the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement to the Division of Campus and Community Engagement last 12 months. The name change didn’t put it aside – it closed this month. School officials said some of the division’s projects could be moved and others could be closed. They didn’t provide specifics.
Shaw said she is the only person of color in her department. She said she saw on X that other university employees had been laid off and contacted them. At least 10 other terminated faculty and staff contacted are also from minority groups, she added.
Losing her job was an enormous blow to Shaw, who already had classes scheduled for the summer and fall. She said her supervisors had previously told her they hoped to extend the contract.
“I’m very disheartened to see that exactly what I was worried about has happened,” Shaw said.
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Texas’ post-Texas ban on diversity, equity and inclusion led to layoffs of more than 100 employees at state universities. This article appeared first on TheGrio.
Education
Mississippi College changes name and eliminates football program
Mississippi College embraces its Christian ideology with a name change.
Mississippi College, a non-public institution, is changing its name to Mississippi Christian College. The decision was approved by the Mississippi Board of Supervisors on November 18.
The university can be eliminating its Division 1 football team in an effort to prioritize academic offerings. In an announcement, the university cited the upcoming bicentenary because the inspiration for the changes.
Mississippi Christian College wants to construct on its Christian ideology, in line with President Bake Thompson.
“These transformational and necessary changes are critically important to the future of this institution. As we look ahead to the institution’s bicentennial in 2026, we want to ensure that MC is a university recognized for academic excellence and commitment to Christ for another 200 years.”
The college is rededicated to making a space where Christian education stays a priority.
“The institution may even undergo restructuring. A brand new structure will likely be introduced, which can mix the College of Christianity and Art with the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the College of Pedagogy will change its name to the College of Pedagogy and Human Sciences. The chancellor was charged with evaluating the potential consolidation of a limited number of educational departments on campus.
Mississippi Christian Athletic Director Kenny Bizott reaffirmed his commitment to former student-athletes.
“We will support our current student-athletes who wish to continue their education at MC, as well as those who wish to transfer,” Bizott added.
Many may view these changes as extreme, but Mississippi Christian believes that every latest organizational change will help the institution fulfill its core functions.
Another Mississippi institution can be within the news for its failures on the legislative level. reported the Mississippi State Senate no payment Legislative Services Office (LSO) attorney Kristie Metcalfe is paid commensurate along with her peers.
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the Mississippi LSO on Metcalfe’s behalf. An office investigation found that Metcalfe was earning half the salary of white LSO lawyers. The investigation also found that Metcalfe is the one non-white worker employed within the office’s 34 years of operation. Race discrimination violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Education
Florida education officials report hundreds of books pulled from school libraries, including Toni Morrison, Richard Wright and Maya Angelou
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.” “Forever” by Judi Blume. “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut.
According to the newest information, all of them have been withdrawn from the shelves of some Florida schools list developed by the Florida Department of Education and containing books removed by local school districts.
Recent changes in state law have made it possible for fogeys and residents to take this motion challenge books to school libraries and required districts to submit an annual report to the state detailing which books were restricted of their schools. Florida continues to steer the nation in withdrawing books from school libraries, in accordance with an evaluation by the American Library Association and the advocacy group PEN America.
“Restricting access means limiting the freedom to read,” said Kasey Meehan of PEN America. “Students are losing the opportunity to access books that reflect their own life experiences, to access books that help them learn and to empathize with people who… have different life experiences.”
The list, published for the 2023-2024 school yr, includes titles by American literary icons similar to Maya Angelou, Flannery O’Connor and Richard Wright, in addition to books which have turn into top targets for censorship across the country as a consequence of LGBTQ+ characters, discussions about gender and sexuality and descriptions of sexual encounters, e.g. “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson and “Gender Queer” by Maja Kobabe. Supporters of conservatism have described such content as “pornographic.”
The list of books removed from libraries also includes Holocaust accounts similar to “The Diary of Anne Frank: A Graphic Adaptation” and “Sophie’s Choice.” It’s an analogous story with the graphic novel, an adaptation of “1984,” George Orwell’s groundbreaking work on censorship and surveillance.
“Everywhere from Toni Morrison to Alice Walker to Slaughterhouse-Five to George Orwell,” said Stephana Farrell, co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, which tracks book challenges within the state. “If you take the time to look through this list, you will see that there is a problem with… this movement.”
In an announcement to the Associated Press, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Education maintained that no books have been banned in Florida and defended the state’s efforts to remove “sexually explicit material” from schools.
“Once again, far-left activists are promoting the book ban scam to Floridians. “The better question is why these activists continue to fight to expose children to sexually explicit material,” spokeswoman Sydney Booker said.
The list shows that the number of book withdrawals varies widely across the state, with some districts reporting no restrictions and others reporting hundreds of titles pulled from shelves. Farrell of the Florida Freedom to Read Project said that based on the group’s evaluation of public records, the department’s report is an undercount since it doesn’t include books removed in consequence of an internal staff review, only those withdrawn in consequence of a grievance filed by a parent or resident.
Farrell believes that almost all Florida parents want their children to have broad access to literature.
“We live in a country where parental rights should be recognized, heard and taken into account,” Farrell said. “We are asking for accountability and an accurate record of the impact of these laws on our children and what is available to them.”
Schools have restricted access to dozens of books by Stephen King, a master of the horror genre known for bestsellers similar to “It” and “Pet Sematary.” Clay County officials also found his book, “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft,” inappropriate for college kids.
King, who spends part of the yr in Florida, talked about attempting to get his books out of students’ hands, urging readers to run to the closest library or bookstore.
“What the hell?” In August, King posted on social media reacting to the choice of some Florida schools to drag his books from shelves.
Multiple school districts in Florida have filed legal challenges for restricting students’ access to books, including Escambia County, which is being sued by PEN America and Random penguin housethe biggest publisher within the country.
Nassau County School District in September settled lawsuit brought by the authors of “And Tango Makes Three,” an image book based on the true story of two male penguins who raised a chick together at New York’s Central Park Zoo. Under the terms of the settlement, the district needed to return three dozen books to the shelves.
Education
Issa Rae meets with Georgia law students
Rae will speak to students about legal issues related to her success.
Georgia State University College of Law announced that Issa Rae will meet with students to debate the legal elements of her successful profession as a part of the course “The Legal Life of Issa Rae.”
On November 7, the producer-actress will hold a hearing at Rialto Art Center. The visit is the culmination of a course exploring Rae’s decades-long profession within the entertainment industry. Rae’s profession provides a wealth of legal diversity to explore as her profession extends beyond visual entertainment.
The classes are held as a part of the “Legal Life…” series. The series was created by George State University law professor Moraima “Mo” Ivory.
As a professor at Georgia State College of Law, Ivory curated a series that examined the legality of maintaining a prestigious profession. As reported, Rae is a course subject this semester BLACK ENTERPRISES.
The creator’s team worked with Ivory to take an in depth take a look at the contracts that helped Rae secure her deals.
“With the support of her team, we will also have the unique opportunity to analyze her real-world deals and discuss how her approach to deals is shaping today’s entertainment landscape. We are incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity,” Ivory told .
It was classy access for 10 years value of contractual agreements to be analyzed.
“This is the first class where every contract was an actual contract with the artist,” Ivory said. “Students can see how real deals actually happen and what real entertainment lawyer Issa Rae has been doing over the last 10 years.”
Ivory, a professor and Fulton County commissioner, believes that the language of the law is vital and that the power to see the language in connection with a noteworthy product allows students to beat the barrier of unfamiliarity.
“You have to look at what people are actually doing and what is happening at the moment. The more familiar they become with the language, the faster they will be able to master it and start representing clients.”
According to Ivory, Rae’s family and business partners were instrumental in checking out the complicated details of her business. The course was attended by “Rae’s mother, siblings, network executives and members of her staff.”
The longtime artist began her profession on YouTube with “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.” The show’s success led to a collaboration with host Larry Wilmore and a multi-show deal with HBO. Outside of television, Rae is a successful actress and producer of many shows including (2022). She also created her own media company HooRae media and music label Raedio.
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