Diversity efforts in universities are nothing but façade painting

Even as the diversity and inclusion programmes proliferate, calls for more far-reaching structural change in universities remain unanswered.

Soon after the Derek Chauvin verdict was made public on April 20, faculties at many universities and colleges in the United States and Canada received emails from administrators, asking them to provide “support” to students by offering additional drop-in office hours. Faculty were also asked to state that these hours were not just for course-related questions, but for “general checking-in”. Some university administrators even asked faculty to acknowledge, explicitly, either verbally or in writing, that we were aware of the most recent police murders – not just that of George Floyd – the outcome of the Chauvin trial, and its potential impact on students’ mental health, as if mental health is the beginning and end of the conditions that demand urgent change on campuses. It was also clear that faculty were being directly asked to do emotional and political labour well beyond the scope of our work as educators at institutions of higher learning, and – importantly – for which most of us have neither expertise nor training. Later, at a slew of public “town hall” style meetings, students and faculty alike were assured that we would be welcome to speak openly about racial discrimination and that our voices would be heard.