College students are often regarded as immature and hypersensitive, and the prevalence of so-called bias response teams (BRTs) and bias incidents won’t do anything to help that image.
As professors Jeffrey Aaron Snyder and Amna Khalid warn in an article for New Republic, they are “a grave mistake,” “degrade education,” and could even hinder efforts to increase campus diversity. Snyder and Khalid focus on diversity as “one of the most significant trends in higher education over the past half-century.” But, administrators see the need to “manage” campus diversity, which is where BRTs come in.
Microaggressions have become an obsession, not only among the students who feel “triggered,” but the administrators who define what bias incidents are. An incident can include even unintentional acts, hence the microaggression.
Furthermore, anyone can report a bias incident, and do so anonymously. That means hoaxes and pranks become prevalent, which could exemplify how ridiculous the whole idea is, but also take up precious time and attention.
The existence of BRTs could also affect how professors do their jobs. Snyder and Khalid are both faculty members at Carleton College. They believe BRTs “undermine [the] strategic use of provocation,” because someone might be offended. Certain classroom discussions may be avoided, such as sex if it’s treated “as contributing to a hostile environment.”
BRTs often demand certain items be banned, or class syllabi be changed. At the University of Oregon, a BRT insisted faculty include a statement on “classroom behavior,” warning that “no racist, ableist, transphobic, xenophobic, chauvinistic or otherwise derogatory comments will be allowed.”
The authors noted that classroom comments perceived as “derogatory” or “insensitive” are among the most commonly reported incidents. It’s no wonder then that Snyder and Khalid warn “BRTs will prevent us from doing our jobs the best way we know how.”
The professors emphasized that “bias and discrimination are real and pressing concerns on campuses across the country,” but for channels to express their concerns through a bias report “is profoundly misguided.” Worse, these BRTs present a “paradox” which “will turn the genuine, transformative educational power of diverse voices into a farce.”
