Mizzou considers quizzing profs on social justice bona fides

As part of its $1.1 million diversity audit, the University of Missouri has released a preliminary round of suggested practices that would expand on the its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The system announced its plan to scrounge up $1.1 million for a diversity audit back in May, at a time when the university was beginning to see the effects of a semester of racial uprising, experiencing a drop of 2,200 in enrollment while facing a $32 million financial hole.

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Now, the school has released a set of potential revisions to the system’s “Collected Rules and Regulations” put forward by the diversity audit.

Among the revisions are calls to implement a system-wide preferred name policy, which would extend beyond the school’s existing policy that allows students to be referred to by their preferred names on ID cards and diplomas.

Additionally, The Missourian reports that the diversity audit has also suggested expanding the definitions of both sexual misconduct and consent, though no specifics were mentioned.

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Finally, the preliminary report indicates that the system is weighing whether to consider a professor’s contribution to diversity and inclusion in the tenure process—a requirement that has been adopted at at least two other colleges, Pomona College and Oregon State University.

Other schools, like the University of Cincinnati, now require prospective applicants to summarize their commitment to diversity before being considered for a position at the school.

The proposed revisions put forth by Mizzou’s diversity audit are currently being assessed by an Intercampus Faculty Council, and the process is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

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