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Faculty union thanks board for ADA audit and interim DEI position; warns against euphemizing 'DEI'
Summary
Dr. Ken Mash, president of the Association of State College and University Faculties (ASCUF), praised the board's actions on an ADA audit and the appointment of an interim vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, and urged the board to use the full phrase rather than the acronym.
Dr. Ken Mash, president of the Association of State College and University Faculties, addressed the board during the public-comment period to thank officials for recent contract negotiations and actions on accessibility and diversity issues.
Mash said he appreciated a "quick but thoughtful negotiation on the ESLP" and expressed hope for resolution of contractual side letters tied to IUP's proposed College of Medicine programs. He also thanked the board "for your actions, to audit university practices with regard to the ADA," calling the board's attention to accessibility "real action" for faculty, coaches and staff.
He welcomed the appointment of an interim vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion and stressed the importance of naming the work precisely rather than substituting the acronym DEI. "When they use the word D-E-I, they really should be explaining, or if they oppose DEI, what part of that they are actually opposed to," Mash said. He cautioned that the acronym is sometimes used as a political dog whistle that can unfairly dismiss individuals' qualifications.
Ending: Mash asked the board to publicly use the full phrase "diversity, equity and inclusion" and thanked members for the opportunity to comment.
