A few weeks ago, this space explored the importance of so-called soft skills that can transcend talent when present in an employee, a student or anyone. The soft skills of respect, professional demeanor, punctuality and a committed work ethic are a tremendous benefit and, based on my social media and texts, are welcomed by the public.
Yet, Clemson University, according to emails from its Office of Inclusion and Equity and the Office of Human Resources, is putting its faculty through an “inclusion awareness course” called “Diversity Benefits for Higher Education.”
The online session includes a Power Point presentation of various scenarios that guide participants to the most inclusive responses, according to Campus Reform, a higher education watchdog project of the Leadership Institute. The digital postulations include topics, not surprisingly, such as gender identity, sexism, white privilege and cultural variances. But one example is truly mystifying.
This example features a fictional character, Alejandro, who’s scheduled a meeting at 9 a.m. between foreign professors and students. One group arrived 15 minutes early while the other arrived 10 minutes late. The materials provided by Workplace Answers, the vendor that was paid a head-scratching $26,945 by Clemson, says it is wrong for Alejandro to “politely ask the second, tardy group to apologize.” The act of stressing the need for timeliness in a group with global diversity might offend some individuals.
Instead, the diversity training directed Alejandro to “recognize cultural differences that may impact the meeting and adjust accordingly.” Further, he should understand “that his cultural perspective regarding time is neither more nor less valid than any other.” In short, it’s OK to show up whenever you want.
So now the expectation of timeliness and punctuality is offensive?
For the 44 million who shoulder a debt of $1.4 trillion in school loans, let me connect the obvious dot by declaring that some of you should demand a refund. If this blather now serves as the basis of higher education – instead of critical thinking and academics – it’s near worthless when it comes to the real world.
A second recent example of the fragility on campus is found at the University of Notre Dame. Vice President Mike Pence is the scheduled commencement speaker. In response, a group of malcontents are snapping their “selfies” to post on their social media sites holding white boards. Messages written on those boards reflect their protests of feeling “unsafe.”
And, speaking of “unsafe,” an effort to boost the food court offerings by adding a Chick-fil-A to the campus of Pittsburgh’s Duquesne University has been met by cries of a similar offense. As a corporation devoted to excellence in service and product, but owned by God-fearing and loving philanthropists, Chick-Fil-A will “marginalize” lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and make their eating space “unsafe.”
Let’s break this down. The faculty and educational bureaucracies who have now devoted their existence to activism, not academics, are killing higher education and education at large. No one should marvel at the coming evolution of the workforce that certainly will leave behind the coddled snowflakes who will find themselves unemployed or underemployed.
Those who want to achieve know that disproving your critics is an effective tool to earn legitimacy and respect. In contrast, the self-destruction of the snowflake class is underway – with the aid of six-figure, salaried professors with tenure.
Robin Smith, a former chairwoman of the Tennessee Republican Party, owns Rivers Edge Alliance.