University of Missouri Students Upset Over Staff Changes at Social Justice Centers
“the centers will be in a better position to support students, faculty and staff at the university”
It’s not clear why the students are unhappy. The school is claiming that they’re planning to raise the number of staffers.
Inside Higher Ed reports:
Unwanted Changes, Uncertain Futures
Students at the University of Missouri are confused and upset about pending changes to top staff positions at campus centers focused on supporting underrepresented groups on campus, including LGBTQ and Black students and survivors of sexual assault.
The university plans to eliminate coordinator positions at five social justice-focused centers that are part of the Division for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, including the LGBTQ Resource Center, Women’s Center, Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center, Multicultural Center and Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center, according to a private message shared with members of the LGBTQ Resource Center. The message, which said the changes are to be implemented by June 30, was shared with Inside Higher Ed by a member of the message group.
Christian Basi, director for media relations for the Columbia campus and the university system, said the university is “elevating the supervision positions” as part of a broader restructuring plan and some coordinator roles will be promoted to assistant directors. When the plan is complete, “the centers will be in a better position to support students, faculty and staff at the university,” Basi said.
He said claims circulating on social media that all staff members at the centers will be let go and that the centers themselves would be eliminated are false. It is “absolutely not true that we’re getting rid of the centers,” and the university is “absolutely committed to the resources these centers provide,” Basi said. The Columbia Missourian reported that the plan aims to raise the number of full-time staff members in the centers from 10 to 15.
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Comments
This is exactly the feedback loop that is so harmful to higher education. Students demand “more support” to help traditionally under-represented groups to make them feel more welcomed on campus. Advisors are hired who got masters degrees from second-rate colleges in “Student Administration.” The main criteria was political awareness rather than counseling skills. Instead of the best professors (regardless of identity group) mentoring these students, the advisors become their mentors and whisper in their ears what new round of “demands” to make. The loop continues over several years to the point that the advisors become indispensable and have more of a role in setting the DEI policy and CRT agenda than does the faculty or the President. These advisors have more job security than do tenured faculty who can be subject to a “cancel” campaign orchestrated by the advisors or subjected to a mandatory “re-education” program constructed by the advisors. So, instead of the first-rate minds in the faculty and the President setting the standards for academic excellence, the Advisors who could not get accepted to a PhD program are setting substitute standards of DEI, “2+2=5”, and political correctness.
Students making the demands: shut up and get back to class. If you don’t like what we are doing, find another college. The choice is yours.
As I understand it, UM receives around 13% of its funding through state appropriations. Seems to me nothing would get the UM wokesters attention quicker than a total cutoff by the General Assembly (currently 24-10 GOP majority in the Senate and 114-48-1 GOP majority in the House).
Oh how mean spirited. Do you have any idea how many snowflakes would melt at that idea??
“It’s not clear why the students are unhappy.”
Seriously? It’s been years, now, and you still haven’t figured it out?
In science, it’s known as the “ground state.”
A popular example most people recognize is “resting bitch face.”