Friday, July 25, 2008

Pitzer College Admits Its Hypocritical, Racist Policies

Janet Alexander of The Claremont Independent has documented how obsessed Pitzer College has become about diversity. She reported on how pleased President Trombley seemed to be that they had increased diversity and would be increasing it even more in the future. Boy, she wasn't kidding! Take a look at this job listing for an Assistant Professor in African History. Its bias shines through.

Pitzer College, a member of the Claremont Colleges, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in African History for an appointment beginning Fall, 2009. The candidate�s research should contribute to the project of rethinking historical methods, concepts, and perspectives through the study of African histories. A passion for undergraduate teaching is a must. Preference will be given to candidates whose teaching expertise includes the history of (i) Islam in Africa and/or (ii) African links to the Indian Ocean area, broadly construed. Other possible areas of interest include the histories of health, medicine, the environment, gender and/or human rights in Africa.

Pitzer College has a strong institutional commitment to diversity in all areas and strongly encourages candidates from underrepresented social groups. We favor candidates who can contribute to the College�s distinctive educational objectives, which promote interdisciplinary perspectives, intercultural understanding, and concern with social responsibility and the ethical implications of knowledge and action. Pitzer College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. For the successful applicant with the relevant interests, affiliations are possible with the intercollegiate departments of Asian American Studies, Black Studies, Chicano/Latino Studies, and/or Women�s Studies. (bolding is mine)
What "institutional commitment to diversity in all areas"!? Can you name a single conservative faculty member in all of Pitzer College? Can you name a "moderate" professor?

More to the point, Pitzer College's policy of refusing to accept money from the Armed Forces to pay for Pitzer students to go to college there smacks of not appreciating diversity in all lives. (Expect more on this issue in the future.)

George Will said at the Cato Institute yesterday that "colleges believe in diversity in everything but thought." Funny how rare serious, reflective thought is becoming nowadays in the rush to reactionary policies.

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