>> Gillian: CRITICS SAY IT
SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF
SOVIET ERA RUSSIA’S PLAYBOOK.
ADMINISTRATORS ARE FORCING
HIGHER EDUCATION WORKERS TO SIGN
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
STATEMENTS IN ORDER TO BE
ELIGIBLE FOR JOB OR PROMOTION
CONSIDERATION.
SOME UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
STAFF TELL FOX NEWS THEY ARE
OUTRAGED AND ARE FIGHTING BACK
TO PRESERVE ACADEMIC FREEDOM.
ROBERT SHIPLY, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR FOR FOUNDATION OF
INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND
EXPRESSION.
ROBERT, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON ON
THE SO-CALLED DEI PUSH, IN
KEEPING WITH THE GOALS OF
BECOMING AN INSTITUTION
COMMITTED TO ANTI-RACISM, THE
STATEMENTS ARE NOW A PART OF
RECRUITMENT AND PROMOTION AND
TENURE PROCESS.
FACULTY CONCLUSIONS RECEIVE IT
FROM THE ACADEMIC REVIEW
PROCESS.
>> THE PROBLEM WITH REQUIREMENTS
LIKE THESE, THEY ARE ALL TOO
OFTEN USED AS POLITICAL LITMUS
TESTS TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO
DISSENTERS ON CAMPUS, MAKES
PROFESSORS AND SOMETIMES
STUDENTS, PROFESSORS SAY THINGS
THEY DON’T BELIEVE AND MAKE SURE
ONLY PEOPLE WITH "APPROVED
VIEWS" ARE HIRED AND PROMOTED.
THIS IS GOING FAR BEYOND
NONDISCRIMINATION, ACTUALLY
REQUIRING DISCRIMINATION BASED
ON POTENTIAL FACULTY MEMBERS AND
EVEN CURRENT FACULTY MEMBERS’
POLITICAL BELIEFS.
>> Gillian: FROM THE PERSPECTIVE
OF THE ADMINISTRATORS, I CANNOT
ASK YOU TO READ THEIR MINDS, WHY
DO YOU THINK THEY ARE MAKING THE
LEAP AND TAKING THE STATEMENTS
FROM BEING SOMETHING THAT IS
VOLUNTARY, NICE TO HAVE, TO
SOMETHING THAT HAS NOW BECOME
ACTUALLY MANDATORY, SOMETHING
YOU HAVE TO DO IF IN SOME
INSTANCES YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR
JOB OR BE CONSIDERED FOR A
PROMOTION.
>> WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW,
THERE’S A LOT OF SINCERITY
INVOLVED THERE, THEY THINK IT
WILL MAKE THE UNIVERSITY A
BETTER PLACE, BUT THERE IS ALSO
I THINK MORE CYNICISM -- CYNICAL
WAY OF LOOKING AT IT IS TO SAY
THAT, YOU KNOW, ON CAMPUS, THERE
STILL ARE GUARANTEES OF FREE
SPEECH OF ACADEMIC FREEDOM,
PEOPLE ARE GUARANTEED THE RIGHT
UNDER THE CONSTITUTION AT PUBLIC
COLLEGES TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK, WE
RELY ON PROFESSORS TO DO THAT.
BUT ABLE TO ON THE WAY IN MAKE
SURE THAT EVERYBODY SORT OF
AGREES ON THE SAME POLITICAL
PRINCIPLES YOU HAVE A LOT LESS
OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO
ACTUALLY COME OUT AND DO THAT
DISAGREEING, AND SO IF YOU
REALLY WANT A PLACE WHERE SOME
PEOPLE ARE EXCLUDED, THIS IS
KIND OF A BACK DOORWAY OF DOING
THAT.
>> Gillian: PART OF THE PROBLEM
THAT PARENTS OF STUDENTS,
STUDENTS THEMSELVES, EVEN SOME
FACULTY ARE HAVING WITH THE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL
SYSTEM ADAPTATION OF THIS NEW
POLICY IS THAT WHAT WE JUST
TALKED ABOUT, THEY ARE NOW
MANDATORY, AND THAT TEACHERS WHO
SAY, OR FACULTY AT SCHOOLS WHO
SAY WE DON’T ACTUALLY, WE ARE
NOT AGAINST DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION, BUT WE JUST WANT TO
STAY OUT OF IT, WE DON’T FEEL
IT’S PART OF OUR PURVIEW AS
ACADEMIC INSTRUCTORS ARE BEING
PENALIZED.
DO YOU THINK THERE IS A WAY THE
SCHOOL SYSTEM CAN BE HELPING
THOSE TEACHERS TO MOVE FORWARD
HERE?
>> YEAH, I THINK THAT IS WHAT
THEY ARE DOING.
I THINK THE ONLY THING THEY CAN
DO TO HELP IS MAKE SURE THEY
INCLUDE EVERYONE, AND THAT
PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON
THIS, THEY NEED TO HAVE A BROAD
ENOUGH BRUSH THAT PEOPLE CAN BE