University Aims for Utopia, Launches Doctoral Program in 'Diversity, Equity and Inclusion'

Judging from news stories over the past few years, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s nothing left of our post-revolution educational system within a decade or less.

For a very long time, “learning” involved the study and memorization of objective information.

Alternately, school developed one’s skill at analysis and applying calculations to data.

By contrast — the best I can tell — classrooms’ contemporarily proposed function is to teach students what to believe.

Furthermore, social advocacy and engineering’s found the forefront, while classically academic pursuits — where extinction’s concerned — are licking the dodo bird’s heels.

And in our updated intellectual sphere, students will now get the chance to become doctors — of the enlightened sort.

As reported by Campus Reform, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale’s (SIU) new doctoral program will sophisticatedly school aspirants in the way of “diversity, equity and inclusion.”

In an article on the college’s website, School of Education Dean M. Cecil Smith confirms that racism is purposely embedded in America’s structures:

“The program’s fellows will be prepared as scholars to address structural inequalities in educational settings and devise and assess programs and practices that can lead to improved educational access and provide better and more equitable educational opportunities and success for all students.”

As you well know, the existence of embedded evils has been constantly called out, in sectors from commerce to education.

Yet, of the announcements I’ve seen, there’s been zero reveal of specific contrivances.

If the dean knows there’s systemic racism, he must have spotted it for himself. Since he’s sure what and where the atrocities are, I wish he and the Powers That Be would simply extract them.

Perhaps he’d prefer students get the credit.

In his June speech to the Class of 2021, President Joe Biden took a similar approach:

“[N]ow, you face another inflection point. As we put this pandemic behind us, rebuild our economy, root out systemic racism, and tackle climate change, we’re addressing the great crises of our time with a greater sense of purpose than never before.”

I waxed at the time:

Over several months, President Biden’s spoken against systemic racism.

To my knowledge, he’s not named one mechanism of the evil at large.

If he were only to expose the levers, they might immediately and necessarily be changed.

He’s announced a cancer, yet withheld the location from which it may be cut.

And if the system is vile, why does he lead it? He’s its most powerful entity; why enable it to persist?

For three and a half decades, he co-ran the system (courtesy of) Congress; he was its vice president for eight additional years. Did he “seize the moment” in the 60’s (as he expressed earlier in the speech), or are the nation’s structures braced with white supremacy — white racism, purposefully constructed amid his extended watch?

Lastly, if he’s being honest about systemic racism, why was he silent for 45 years before letting us know?

Hopefully, they’ll finally nip it in the bud in Illinois.

“We want help address those issues in our country, and we believe we can do that by capitalizing on our strengths,” the dean explained. “One of the best ways is to prepare scholars to study problems and prepare policies to dismantle the causes of those problems.”

M. Cecil sees it as a natural extension:

“Inequities in access to education, adequate funding and highly skilled, high-quality teachers remain a barrier for large populations throughout the United States. Racism, sexism and discrimination persist, despite decades of legal and public policy initiatives and social activism.”

The school’s not alone in its anti-evil endeavor — the University of Central Florida offers a bachelor’s certificate by way of the Social Justice in Public Service program.

And the University of North Carolina’s training advocates in “antiracism” at the graduate level.

But Southern Illinois differs, per the dean, in two ways:

The participating students will be fellows with full financial support for up to three years.

The program will take advantage of the university’s location as a rural higher education institution. As schools in rural areas are becoming increasingly diverse, Smith said, the need for emerging scholars and leaders working to assure educational equity in various forms is especially great.

Three to five fellows per year will be picked, and they’ll have the option to earn a Ph.D or Ed.D.

Beyond that, while the University of North Carolina is likely prepping politicians, Professor of Educational Administration and Higher Education Saran Donahoo believes SIU will be instructing instructors:

“The main thing I appreciate about this program is the opportunity to academically and financially support students in becoming critical educators and researchers.”

So the school will train experts who can train experts.

And those researching via the program can become researchers.

Maybe somewhere amid the effort, all that intentional racism (and, I would assume, sexism) clogging America’s gears will be removed.

But once embedded bigotry’s been exterminated, will degrees in social justice have been made obsolete?

Will all such programs of necessity be nixed?

Hopefully, we’ll soon find out. They already know structural racism’s there; they just have to catch it and all will be made right.

Prepare for succinct success.

Although, Dean M. Cecil added this: