There Will Be No More ‘Office of Equity and Inclusion’ – Opinion

Say it ain’t so.That was most likely the reaction of many who heard the news.

Point Park University does the unthinkable. Culturally, it is certain that the university will be canceled for whatever reason.

The private college in Pittsburgh announced the closing of its Office of Equity and Inclusion on March 7.

After the Spring ’22 semester, OEI is following in the forked and unfortunate footsteps of the dodo bird.

As noted by school outlet The Globe, SGA President Dennis McDermott wasn’t a fan of the closure. In fact, he intended to fight it with “everything in [his] power”:

In an interview with The Globe, SGA President Dennis McDermott said that SGA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair Eli Bagaporo notified the Executive Cabinet on Friday, Feb. 25 that the office would be “disbanded” before the start of the Fall 2022 semester.

“I’m going to do everything in my power in my last semester here as president to make sure this doesn’t happen,” McDermott said. “And we accomplished some big things last year, and I can’t make any promises, but if I have any say in it, it’s going to stay exactly how it is.”

OEI’s official mission is stated thusly:

[To]To foster equity and inclusion in institutions, raise awareness, implement strategies, tools, align all campus members, create a culture that values, accepts, and includes all people at all levels.

Myriads of people will be wondering how inclusive campuses can exist without the office.

Doubtlessly, many would find it difficult to believe what you probably already know: Once upon a time, no such thing as “diversity, equity and inclusion” existed. Nobody had even heard about it and nobody was asking for it.

In that mystical domain, there was neither such an idea as “identity.” Individuals weren’t webbed by an existential crisis which could only be unraveled by the affirmation of others. Individuals had the freedom to see their peers in any way they wanted. And to be “seen” merely confirmed one’s lack of an invisibility superpower. Both men and women woke up every day, focused solely on the task at hand and didn’t think about who might notice them. There were no identity groups, no “marginalization,” no “personal truth.”

In that strange realm was the notion of school. Here, students sat at tables while their teachers delivered dry information about academic subjects. There was no talk of racialization, no emphasis on oppression, no promotion of instructors’ personal lives, no bolstering of the students’.

Speech was free, and still everyone felt “safe.”

Enrollees were treated with “equality” — meaning every rule and standard applied equally to all.

The most remarkable thing about this is the fact that all of the universe spun exactly the same. Things got done, education was attained, and no one was “harmed” or “microaggressed” to the point of peril.

These days, however, are over. Now, it seems assumed rightful things can’t occur without a diversity, equity and inclusion apparatus overseeing all.

Hence, I predict the Office of Equity and Inclusion — which was only launched just before the pandemic — will shortly be revived.

‘Til then, other DEI departments will do the heavy lifting:

The staff that handles diversity, equity and inclusion training will be moving to the Center for Inclusive Excellence, including the Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Training Michael Thornhill, according to Corsaro.

“None of the work OEI does is being eliminated; rather, the various components of the office would shift to other areas of the University where they will find more support and be able to focus more directly on their missions,” [Managing Director of University Marketing and Public Relations Lou Corsaro] said. “Final plans are still being developed and University leadership continues to meet with various groups for input.”

SGA President Dennis knows what’s what:

“I think you could ask any number of my student government what it means to them to have an office at our university, specifically dedicated to the issues of which it is titled for — equity and inclusion — is just a sign of a progressive institution that people want to go to. And people feel proud to be part of an institution that cares that much to dedicate their entire group of people towards solving issues regarding that.”

Indeed — hopefully, Point Park will manage to stay just as inclusive as before:

University Orders Adherence to Preferred Pronouns and Made-Up Monikers, Threatens ‘Action’ Regardless of ‘Intent’ https://t.co/OEQ5DWGoWq

— RedState (@RedState) September 22, 2021

Students protest University’s “Inclusive” Pronoun Rules. A Petition demands that he be kicked out
https://t.co/H8BYvOJcHm

— RedState (@RedState) September 29, 2021

-ALEX

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