Oregon State University is instituting mandatory “diversity education” for students who live on campus.
To facilitate this development, the university has added an administrative position for anyone qualified in “social justice education” to oversee it.
First reported Monday by Campus Reform, the new position for “Assistant Director of Diversity Initiatives and Programs” pays up to $61,500 and requires the successful applicant to have a “bachelor’s degree in social justice or a related field,” with at least “five years experience in diversity and social justice education.”
The administrator is required to lead the residential life staff to maintain the campus’s social justice and diversity program, mandatory for all student residents and student staff. The College Fix previously reported in 2016 that it was developing a “social justice” training course for incoming freshmen.
As Campus Reform notes, OSU is one of 232 American colleges and universities that operates a Bias Response Team to deal with incidences of racism, sexism, and perceived hate crimes on campus, as well as issues like microaggressions and online cyberbullying.
The new administrator will take charge of the team as a “First responder to incidents of bias.”
The OSU website states that students who witness incidents of bias may be harmed, and encourages to report them to the team.
“Experiencing or witnessing a bias incident can result in physical and emotional trauma,” the school’s website declares. “All members of the OSU community who have been impacted by a bias incident are encouraged to report it by submitting a Bias Incident Response Form.”
In addition to being able to raise complaints of discrimination and harassment over bias, affected students are provided with free access to counseling and psychological support.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.