Racial Climate Survey Shoots the Arrow, Then Draws the DEI Target

Part II: Racial learning and literacy, encountering racial stress.

Previously, we reported on a racial climate survey whose goal is to “gather student perspectives about our campus climate, which can inform community actions to foster a greater sense of belonging at UMass Boston.". As part of this noble goal, the results of the survey were disseminated to the UMass Boston community in the form of six info sessions.

We already dug into the first two sessions, where we realized that despite the doom and gloom spread by our Supreme Leaders about the rampant systemic racism and WHITENESS on campus, most students feel they matter and like to hang out with peers of all races. In other words, the survey showed that the “systemic racism pandemic” is barely a little sneeze, at most. It did not prevent our Leaders from offering far-reaching “solutions” to the barely existing problem, in order to bring about more DEI, more anti-racism and less academic freedom.

Here we report on sessions 3 and 4 - racial learning and literacy, and encountering racial stress. Surely we’ll hit the rampant systemic racism jackpot here, right? After all, as our Lady of Perpetual White Guilt, St. DiAngelo taught us, just hanging out with friends from other races is not only insufficient, but downright harmful. She knows what she’s talking about, seeing as she can’t even spend five minutes with people of color without royally screwing up.

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Racial Learning and Literacy

The questions were:

1. “At your institution, WHERE have you learned about race?”

2. “At your institution, WHO helps you to learn about race?”

3. “In this semester, to what extent do the classes in your major reflect racial diversity, along the following dimensions?”

   1. Students in classes

   2. Authors of course materials

   3. Topics of class discussions

4. How well do you think UMB is preparing you for the following settings?”

   1. Working in a racially diverse setting

   2. Living in a racially diverse neighborhood

   3. Sending children to racially diverse schools

   4. Interacting with individuals of different races

One would think the answers to 1-3 range between “All the time, I’m majoring in gender studies with a minor in fat activism” and “I’m an Engineering major, I’m here to study about differential equations, electricity and embedded systems and maybe finally lose my virginity, leave me alone!” and that the answer to 4 is quite obvious, given that UMass Boston is very racially diverse.

Indeed, Captain Obvious is happy to report that students experience a high level of in-class diversity.

All students learn about race from a variety of sources, but (gasp!) students of color carry a much higher burden of educating others about race. EDUCATE YOURSELVES, white students! Worse yet, a whooping 11-16% of students have not learned about race on campus. Oh, the horror.

But our Supreme Leaders won’t let those pesky facts stand in their way of proclaiming more of our academic freedom and diverting more budget into DEI initiatives.

There is lower diversity in course materials compared to student body diversity. This is a known and very serious problem that has to be fixed via citation justice. Professors - take it into account and make sure to only cite black, LGBTQIA++ and disabled authors from now on. Especially in courses on Abstract algebra and European Medieval literature.

Students feel that UMass Boston prepares them towards a diverse living, workplace and inter-personal interactions.

Asian graduate students report learning much less about race. Hmmm…. could it be because the evil Databases and Quantum Physics professors don’t incorporate race in their course materials?

Bad, bad professors. Luckily, UMass Boston is here for the rescue. Despite the fact that the results, AGAIN, reveal that classes are diverse and that the university does a good job preparing students to live and work in a diverse environment, the glaring problem of Abstract algebra and Viking medieval literature courses not focusing entirely on race has to be rectified. Hence, the recommendations are, yet again, divided into the following categories:

Micromanaging curricula and curtailing academic freedom

• Conduct regular co-curricular revision of texts, colloquia, and other activities to center issues of race and racism, particularly in relation to the institution and the geographic context(s) in which it resides

• Conduct departmental reviews of classroom materials to determine whose voices and experiences are centered, and whose are missing.

• Ensure that syllabus re-designs do not just end up including a few readings by authors of color. Think through Universal Design in Learning principles and statements about academic accommodations for disabilities, and ensure that historically under-included perspectives and voices are centered.

Force EVERYONE to DO THE WORK, and no, quantum computing research is not “work”, professional judgment and academic freedom be damned:

• Determine which academic programs on campus have been successful at advancing minoritized students and reproduce elements of these programs across campus

• Engage and incentivize departmental and cross-departmental conversations about racial equity and incentivize and support faculty and staff for engaging in the work

• Encourage faculty to seek out linkages between their discipline and social issues and issues related to identity, and to make space at the beginning or end of each class for key events in the news about race or racism

• Provide structured opportunities for students to learn about structural and systemic issues related to their own and other racial groups, in conjunction with the course topic

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Encountering Racial Stress

Session 4 was about racial stress. In other words:

• NACCC respondents appraise the racial environment of their institutions. They identify campus encounters they have experienced as racist, ranging from microaggressions and racial stereotyping to more overt acts of racial harassment and violence. Students indicate the impact of these encounters on their personal well-being and academic success.

• Key topics

  • Ratings of campus racial tensions, racial segregation, and overall campus racial climate and impact on personal well-being

  • Frequency of experiencing racism in campus locations, academic spaces, at campus events, and impact on personal well-being

If you reached this point and you’re still sober enough to continue reading, you probably already see where it’s going - “hang on, didn’t we just learn that the campus is diverse, students feel comfortable and like to hang out with other students of all races? What segregation are you talking about?”.

And you are right.

As expected, most students don’t feel our campus is racist.

A small number of students experienced racism on campus. This is unfortunate, but it is nowhere near the all-encompassing pandemic-like WHITENESS our Leaders like to mention at every opportunity.

Most students feel safe, welcome and included on campus.

So, again… Yay?

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NAY!!!

If you haven’t yet figured out - it doesn’t matter what the real results are. We first shoot the arrow and then draw the target around it, seeing that the real target is so far away that it only exists in the feverish dreams of DEI activists.

Oh wait. The survey was done in 2022. We wonder what Jewish students would say if it were done today. But then again, it’s irrelevant. Jews are white oppressors and their safety and feeling of inclusion are irrelevant. But we digress.

Let us go back to the target our Leaders draw around the arrow that’s landed far away from where it was supposed to.

All the usual measures are there, whether we need them or not (emphasis ours).

• Committees, Committees and more committees: Form a subcommittee to implement initiatives alleviating on (largely non-existent) racial stress, composed of mental health and counseling professionals, including clinical faculty, particularly those with experience supporting racially minoritized populations. This subcommittee should, whenever possible, center the leadership and direction of counselors that reflect the racial diversity of the institution’s racially minoritized populations

• DEI, DEI and more DEI: Institute professional development for faculty and staff to prioritize understanding not only of the effects of (largely non-existent) racial violence on students, but also microaggressions and their impact on learning and well-being. This professional development should include both providing faculty and staff with the skills to confront and intervene when these incidents occur, and asking them to prioritize a consistent message to all students that they are intelligent, of worth, and capable of scholarship.

• Recognize (largely non-existent) race-related stress and racial trauma on campus, and collectively engage with those on the margins to objectively hear their narratives and move towards action. The above does not apply to Jewish students, we assume.

• Safe spaces: Create and/or bolster physical spaces and human infrastructure, explicitly and specifically serving marginalized student populations. Make students, staff, and faculty of color do MORE emotional labor in the conversation to learn what spaces are needed

• Boldly confront long-standing racial problems embedded in the systems and structures at the institution (even though the survey clearly showed such problems largely don’t exist), and communicate that racism is not just individual and overt, but also systemic and covert.

• Communicate plans for systemic change aimed to alleviate (largely non-existent) racial stress.

• Practice and prepare for responsible race-conscious crisis scenario response, just as is done with other potential emergency situations on campus. This response preparation should use different communication channels, including email communication, video distribution, university media and newspaper delivery, public speech, and interview. Additionally, this response preparation should specifically address those impacted/harmed by the racial crisis incident(s). The above does not apply to Jews.

End of part II. More to follow.