Bates College removes intellectual’ test checks’ for faculty ,
Following a notice from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and reporting by The College Fix, Bates College in Maine removed the requirement for La remarks on job applications.
Following an interview with The College Fix for a June content, FIRE sent a notice to the private liberal arts college in east Maine on July 22 about worries about La “litmus testing” in two of the university’s job postings.
The Fix statement had raised the requirement for candidates for the position of Visiting Assistant Professor in Earth and Climate Sciences to provide proof of “past and possible contributions to capital and addition” when applying to the university.
In the same vein, candidates for the Visiting Professor of Physics and Astronomy positions were required to” publish a declaration of teaching philosophy/experience that even addresses capital and addition,” according to FIRE’s letter, which was written by Graham Piro, a fellow with the team’s Faculty Legal Defense Fund and a previous investigative reporter for The College Fix.
According to Piro, “unlike it or not, such requirements risk turning institutions into echo chambers for only a few preferred views,” according to Piro.
” Absent agreed-upon, objective, and precise definitions,’ diversity,’ ‘ equity,’ and ‘ inclusion’—which carry political connotations subject to much debate and controversy—will almost certainly serve as proxies for certain viewpoints or beliefs”, reads the letter from the group, which defends free speech and academic freedom.
The letter demanded that the college remove the DEI requirements from job postings.
The school did not reply to FIRE‘s letter directly. However, it quickly removed the mandatory DEI statements from the job listings, FIRE reported Aug. 14.
Candidate candidates may now choose to provide evidence of their abilities and experience supporting a diverse student body either in a separate, additional document or integrated into the teaching and research statements, according to the postings.
” We commend Bates for acting swiftly”, FIRE said in response to the change. Higher education institutions may pursue their own diversity-related initiatives and may acknowledge delegated work, but they must refrain from imposing their own definitions on faculty applicants and current faculty members.
Bates College continues to retain DEI programs, however. It , approved in 2023 a” Race, Power, Privilege, Colonialism” curriculum requirement that takes effect in 2026-27.
The Federalist reported last year that the DEI office at Bates College is being used to intimidate instructors into adhering to its progressive ideology. Apparently, professors are reluctant to challenge students out of fear of being reported to the DEI office.
Former school administrator Keith Taylor even faced criticism and was eventually fired after expressing concerns about the DEI office, as previously reported by The College Fix.
As for DEI statements, FIRE conducted a survey in 2022 showing they are a contentious issue among university faculty. Out of nearly 1, 500 respondents, one half saw the requirement for a diversity statement as” ‘ an ideological test that compromises academic freedom,’ while the other half said such requirements are ‘ a legitimate criterion for university employment,'” FIRE reported.
MORE: Bates College green-lights ‘ Race, Power, Privilege, Colonialism ‘ curriculum requirement
IMAGE: Milindri/Canva Pro
Follow The College Fix on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
