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University of California-Irvine implements recommendations of race task force

Yesterday, Thomas Parham, vice chancellor for student affairs at UC Irvine, sent out an email to the college community detailing what the school has done with regards to “sustaining a climate of inclusive excellence.”

Parham goes on to list university accomplishments “to date” regarding implementation of recommendations made by the incredibly verbose “Task Force on Ensuring a Positive Climate for the Campus’ African American Community.”

A couple of them should raise eyebrows.

Gary Fouse, an adjunct at UCI, reports from his Fousesquawk blog:

The Task Force’s charge was to comprehensively review UCI’s practices as they relate to the climate for our African American community, initially addressing issues raised by the Black Student Union. In June, the Task Force submitted a report with recommendations on how to respond to those issues. Subsequently, the Chancellor asked me to convene a group to oversee the implementation of the recommendations, and I believe it would be helpful to share our progress to date.

— An African American scholars and excellence hall was established in the Arroyo Vista complex and is occupied by a full complement of students.

— The resident assistant position in the Rosa Parks House was restored.

— The creation of a Black Resource Center was approved. The center’s budget was established, a director will soon be recruited and several sites are being considered for a location. The approved budget for the resource center – which includes a director and staff, programs, student interns and other expenses – aligns with the recommendations of the Task Force.

— Efforts to elevate the Program in African American Studies to department status are well underway. The proposal was endorsed by the dean, reviewed by the appropriate faculty and is in final consideration by the Academic Senate.

— The Academic Senate is also working through the proposal to strengthen the multicultural breadth requirement, which adds a learning outcome that must “demonstrate skills to recognize, critically analyze, and question structural systems of oppression.”

— The administration has agreed to not refer to incidents of racism or racial insensitivity as “rare or isolated.”

The second-to-last bullet point (trigger warning for anti-2nd Amendment types!) should really worry anyone not on the far left side of the political spectrum.

In order to fulfill that “strengthened” requirement, it’s more than a safe bet that a student essentially will have to share the mindset of the “studies” professoriate regarding structural/systemic racism, sexism, homophobia … and every other -ism and phobia you can think of.

Hilariously and ironically, Parham’s message ends with “… we are determined to create a culture that embraces diversity, celebrates differences and encourages an abundance of opinions.” Just as long as those opinions “question structural systems of oppression!!”

As for the last bullet point, that is merely a (tired) concession to the radical left fringe which believes that American society is incorrigibly racist, etc. etc.

Gotta maintain those progressive bona fides, after all, right?

Read the full letter.

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About the Author
Associate Editor
Dave has been writing about education, politics, and entertainment for over 20 years, including a stint at the popular media bias site Newsbusters. He is a retired educator with over 25 years of service and is a member of the National Association of Scholars. Dave holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Delaware.