Who put DEI into NC community colleges? Republicans, of course.
We’ve all heard about that woke CRT and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) 
crap infesting all levels of education and our economy. A lot of ranting about the ‘problem’ of whiteness, and very little if any talk about actually bringing people together and going color-blind.
(Or helping people improve their reading, writing, and ‘arithmetic.)
In your heart you want to blame it on Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, and Roy Cooper. But the good folks at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal say we need to point at something different:
[…] It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has financially impacted the education system for almost two years. The North Carolina community college system (NCCCS), which had an enrollment drop of 11 percent in 2020, is no exception. With a reduction in enrollment comes a reduction in funding, putting a strain on the 58 community colleges in the state.
In March 2021, EdNC reported, “The community college system is [ ] asking for $61 million in non-recurring funds to stabilize their budgets after the steep enrollment declines this year and funding for community college faculty and staff pay raises.”
With such obvious financial stress, one would think the community college system is taking steps to better manage its resources and hopefully reduce its financial burdens. However, with the establishment of the System Advisory Council Initiative on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), the system has unfortunately decided to spend its resources on a frivolous, if not insidious, ideological initiative.
The DEI advisory council initiative was enacted in the summer of 2020 with the goal of conducting a deep dive into institutional code and policy to unearth any “inequities” that appear to be limiting opportunities for students, faculty, and staff, and offering recommendations for improvement. Then-NCCCS President Peter Hans called upon Wayne Community College President Thomas A. Walker, Jr, and Southwestern Community College President Don Tomas to be leaders of the task force, with several other community college presidents as members.
Thomas Stith III, the current and 10th president of the NCCCS stated that, “The North Carolina Community College System will become a national model for diversity and inclusion.” In an interview with the Martin Center in March, Stith stated that he hoped the system would “lead and set the standard, not only within the state but nationally, for diversity and inclusion.” […]
You may remember Stith as a long-time hack at John Locke / Pope, Inc. and as Gov. Pat McCrory’s chief of staff.
MORE:
[…] Peter Hans tasked the DEI advisory council with reviewing the state board code and putting together guidelines for how other colleges can improve their own policies as well. The advisory council has put forth an extensive report documenting its findings and policy recommendations.[…]
Peter Hans is a longtime NCGOPe hack who has, for years, bounced from sweet Republican patronage job to sweet Republican patronage job. He’s currently the president of the UNC System.
MORE:
[…] The main three recommendations from the DEI advisory council are as follows:
- Eliminate the Residency Determination System (RDS) (meaning that students would no longer have to prove US residency in order to attend community college).
- Include “language specific to diversity, equity, and inclusion” in the State Board of Community Colleges code.
- “Develop guidance for the 58 community colleges for strategies to eliminate student debt,” specifically that of small fee-related charges.
Perhaps more interesting than the recommendations alone is the report’s rationale for each. According to the research findings by the DEI advisory council, RDS creates a barrier to entry for minority students which puts them at a disadvantage and the absence of DEI-specific language in the code inhibits “strategies” from being implemented. And finally, the council asserts that unpaid fees, even as little as a few dollars, can keep students from being able to complete their degree or apply for re-admission.
At the strategic planning committee meeting in October of 2021, the recommendations were approved. However, a member of the state board of community colleges, Lisa Estep expressed concern “about the recommendation to eliminate RDS…” President Stith clarified that the board was not voting to eliminate the RDS, only to, “review the RDS process in more detail and move forward with discussions to the college presidents.”
President Stith’s clarification is not reassuring, however, as it calls into question why the board would invite discussion on the RDS process if it were not open to the idea of eliminating it as recommended.
Throughout the report, the DEI initiative elaborated on its diversity goals and listed numerous other recommendations—with the previous three only being the tip of the iceberg. Three points stick out as particularly concerning: the first is to “make explicit in State Board Code equity policy aims and accountability structures.” The second is a proposal to institute and perhaps require DEI faculty and staff training. And finally, the report advocates for appointing on-campus DEI officers. […]
Once again, we have alleged conservatives helping socialists turn their wildest dreams into reality. Look at how long Team (R) has had control of the legislature and the appointment process. What good is there in voting (R) if Team (R) is also using Team (D)’s playbook?
Medicaid expansion. Even more government daycare. legal weed. Corporate welfare. Casinos. Public-private “partnerships.” The list – tragically – goes on and on and on.
Sandhills Community College, here in Moore County, is up-to-its-eyeballs in DEI and CRT, thanks to its recently departed, very socialist Dear Leader and college president John Dempsey. There is a DEI dean and a whole on-campus office devoted to DEI.
The college’s board of trustees is dominated by GOP appointees
who allowed the DEI takeover. They also have the power to fumigate the campus of that parasitic mess. Will they do the honorable thing for the people of the county and the students on campus?
Just another Republican insider disaster. When will they ever learn? DEI is nothing but the Democrat Party platform in disguise.
Retiring from the North Carolina Community College System has left me with mixed feelings about the state of education today. While there are many conservative faculty members like myself, we often find ourselves in a delicate position, where speaking out can have consequences. It’s disheartening to witness the erosion of academic standards and the reluctance to challenge students academically.
Grading has become a sensitive issue, and it feels like we’re walking on eggshells. Assigning anything beyond a one-page paper is deemed too tough, and homework is often seen as an unnecessary burden. Multiple-choice tests have become the norm, even though they may not effectively assess critical thinking or deeper understanding. The fear of administrative pressure following student complaints looms over us, making it challenging to maintain fair and consistent grading standards.
The introduction of LGBTQ and pronoun training, while aimed at fostering inclusivity, can be a source of discomfort for those of us who hold different beliefs. It’s a reminder of the shifting educational landscape and the challenges conservative educators face in reconciling personal values with institutional expectations.
Ironically, tenure, often criticized by conservatives, has proven to be a safeguard for those of us who want to uphold rigorous academic standards. It provides the stability needed to resist external pressures and maintain a commitment to excellence in education. But we don’t have it, so complain and you are removed.
As I step into retirement, I can’t help but feel a sense of frustration about the direction education is taking.
Peter Hans start as a Republican functionary was not exactly auspicious. He was brought in by Chairman Jim Hastings after his election as chairman to be “Chief of Staff” of the NCGOP until a new ED was approved. Hans was not long out of college, and if memory serves had worked briefly at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. Hastings only served a few months before his indictment for federal tax fraud led to first a leave of absence as chairman and then a resignation. Hans had stayed in place because Hastings’ choices for ED were from out of state and a majority of the Central Committee insisted that the ED be a North Carolinian.
Hans was virtually useless in his role at NCGOP, and the rest of the staff called him “Jim’s Little Peter” behind his back. After Hastings’ leave of absence was approved, the Central Committee dumped Hans by naming Jane Rouse, who was vice chairman and acting chairman as ED. Timmy Moore’s current deputy chief of staff, who is also a homosexual activist, was brought onto the NCGOP staff as Political Director under Hans. Perhaps Hans was into DEI from a much earlier time.
Maybe the Peter Principle also fits Peter Hans.
Then there is Thomas Stith, who functioned okay while he was Jack Hawke’s right hand man at Civitas and took direction from Hawke, but when he got out on his own as McCrory’s Chief of Staff, with Hawke first seriously ill and then deceased, Stith flubbed it badly. McCrory was a dud himself as governor, but having an even bigger dud as his chief of staff just made things worse. There was a black woman, for example, whom Stith brought in first to the Transition Team, and then had her installed as an Assistant Secretray at NCDOT whose background was as a community organizer in Greensboro and then an NGO operative in the DC beltway area during the Obama administraion. As DOT assistant secretary, she was the one who greenlighted giving DACA illegal aliens NC drivers licenses, which got oiayed by Stith and McCrory. Again, this might be a case of DEI before DEI was even invented.
Why do bad pennies like these keep turning up in our party?