Connecticut university asks physical therapy professor applicants to advocate for 'anti-racist policies'
One free speech advocate told Fox News that too many professors have to change their beliefs in order to keep their jobs
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The University of Connecticut is asking applicants for an assistant therapy professor position to consider contributing to the dismantling of "structural racism" and advocating for "anti-racist policies."
As part of the responsibilities for individuals hired to become an assistant professor in residence in the doctor of physical therapy program at the University of Connecticut, individuals are expected to contribute to one or more of the "four strategic priorities" in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.
One of those "strategic priorities" asks applicants to consider dismantling structural racism and advocating for "anti-racist" policies.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Dismantling structural racism and fostering environments that advance racial equity, inclusion, and belonging by advocating for anti-racist policies, practices, and norms," states the priority.
A sign at the entrance to the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn. (Google Street View)
One free speech advocate told Fox News that applicants should be wary of universities who put diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts over education.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Professors applying to work at universities that prioritize DEI efforts over the actual education and intellectual cultivation of students should carefully consider what the university will expect of them," Cherise Trump, the executive director of Speech First, said.
Logo of the University of Connecticut Huskies. (AP)
Trump added that too often, professors have had to change their beliefs in order to keep their jobs.
"There have been too many occasions where faculty members had to abandon their beliefs and forfeit their academic freedom in order to keep their jobs. I'm concerned that the more resources universities pour into this endeavor by only hiring faculty who are willing to tow the line, the less they will focus on developing highly skilled individuals who can easily enter the workforce at top levels," Trump said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}VERMONT STATE COLLEGES TRUSTEES ADOPT SYSTEMWIDE 'ANTI-RACISM PLEDGE'
In November, the University of Pittsburgh included similar content in a job posting for an assistant professor of architecture.
The posting states that while the university is seeking applicants with a background in architecture, the "ideal candidate" will help the department "establish a culture of anti-racism and anti-oppression."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Connecticut Huskies helmet is seen during the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium on November 9, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
These types of efforts are becoming more common for applicants seeking a faculty position in American colleges, according to a recent American Enterprise Institute study.
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The study claims that 19% of faculty job postings from a range of 999 job descriptions from colleges across the country require diversity, equity, and inclusion statements from applicants. Sixty-eight percent of those postings mention the word "diversity" in some manner.