Virginia Commonwealth University has a new plan proposed to “improve the diversity” of its campus faculty and staff: limit hiring ‘white males.’
In a Social Justice forum last month, the University revealed the results of a ‘campus climate’ survey which found most employees at VCU are upset that the school is not hiring more female professors of color and that not enough “conversations about social justice” are occurring in the classroom.
“In order to increase and improve perspectives, VCU needs to hire more faculty that aren’t white males,” the presentation cites as part of “an expressed need to improve the diversity of faculty and staff.”
Hiring more white males is an obstacle to diversity and inclusion at the university, the employees complain. One employee complained “senior white males are not attending” enough diversity and inclusion events on campus.
“There are not many minority women faculty,” another complained. Others complained the faculty and staff diversity did not reflect the diversity of the VCU student body.
The forum was also dedicated to campus safety issues such as violence and sexual assault. The solution to that? Reducing “micro aggressions.”
“Micro aggressions are part of the culture… Subtle comments or actions can be triggers,” one employee said.
