University of Wisconsin students to undergo mandatory ‘cultural competency training’

[Damajin]

http://eagnews.org/university-of-wis...ency-training/

MADISON, Wis. – Is the University of Wisconsin-Madison running the risk of having minority students viewed as being coddled and overprotected from “seemingly minor or unintentional” slights?

Is it creating an environment where the slightest statement or action could provoke a finger-pointing witch hunt for students who are accused of insensitivity?

Is it encouraging minority students to become hyper-sensitive to the point where people of different skin colors are afraid to associate openly and freely, without having their speech constantly monitored for words that might upset someone?

The university has announced that it will require about 1,000 incoming students to participate in “cultural competency training” this fall, at a cost ranging between $150,000 and $200,000, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

The announcement follows a semester of student protests over “racially charged incidents at UW-Madison that officials say may have been driven by ignorance rather than malice,” according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

The training will address “topics such as identity, culture and micro-aggressions,” the newspaper reported.

The State Journal defines the term “microsaggressions” as “seemingly minor or unintentional slights that contribute to a hostile atmosphere for people of color.”

While the training may be limited to about 1,000 students this fall, it will be mandatory for all incoming students by next year, the State Journal reported. The report did not say how much the expanded program might cost in the future.

The university is also reviewing more than 100 suggestions from various people for improving the racial climate on campus, the news story said.

One of the more publicized suggestions is to install a so-called “Stall Seat Journal” on the backs of doors in toilet stalls in campus restrooms, and above urinals. The written message would address racial and cultural diversity on campus, and the perceived need for more sensitivity when it comes to those issues.

I'm cracking up at the bolded part at the end here, because putting messages of racial and cultural diversity in front of peoples' face while they take a piss and shit is really going to get them pondering it. This whole thing is a joke, that part of it is especially so. Mandatory training next year means watch those enrollments go down, down, down just like we're seeing elsewhere at colleges doing this shit.

[Deleted]

Such a brave new world

I guess some of us are going to remain noble savages

[Hammerfest]

Despite Wisconsin having become a conservative state in the last few years, Madison is still West Moscow.

[Post]

Good thing this kind of nonsense is only on Tumblr and doesn't affect the real world.

[Kraenen]

Ironically this type of stuff only inflames and worsens the "racial climate" of any given environment.

[satimy]

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine

[Deleted]

Ironically this type of stuff only inflames and worsens the "racial climate" of any given environment.

Unfortunately many times when we try and solve problems, we end up making them worse. This is one of those things.

[The One Percent]

I find this situation Sikh

[Celista]

Ironically this type of stuff only inflames and worsens the "racial climate" of any given environment.

Federal financial aid now requires students to complete sexual harassment training, pretty sure it appplies to all US universities.

[Mister Cheese]

Federal financial aid now requires students to complete sexual harassment training, pretty sure it appplies to all US universities.

Because it's not common sense that you shouldn't go around groping people or making inappropriate comments?

[Saucexorzski]

Because it's not common sense that you shouldn't go around groping people or making inappropriate comments?

Well these folks know better then their students so they need to teach them the proper means of behavior, its basically like when the religious right was in charge of what was and wasn't moral.

[Celista]

Because it's not common sense that you shouldn't go around groping people or making inappropriate comments?

I mean, they also make you complete student loan counseling that basically amounts to, "you know you're going to have to pay this all back, right?" so while I'm not surprised at the obviousness that is inherent in the sexual harassment training content, I'm not sure why it's now a required part of federal aid.

[Damajin]

I mean, they also make you complete student loan counseling that basically amounts to, "you know you're going to have to pay this all back, right?" so while I'm not surprised at the obviousness that is inherent in the sexual harassment training content, I'm not sure why it's now a required part of federal aid.

Well of course, the schools have created a mass of students who are so stupid that you have to specifically tell them that the loans have to be paid back or they'll think it's all freebies, the intrinsic nature of the word 'loan' isn't even known to them. That's really the undercurrent of this whole mess with all this loan/sensitivity/whatever training: the modern populace is dumber than a bag of rocks and have next to no critical thinking skills to speak of.

[Annoying]

Well of course, the schools have created a mass of students who are so stupid that you have to specifically tell them that the loans have to be paid back or they'll think it's all freebies, the intrinsic nature of the word 'loan' isn't even known to them. That's really the undercurrent of this whole mess with all this loan/sensitivity/whatever training: the modern populace is dumber than a bag of rocks and have next to no critical thinking skills to speak of.

I'd say it's less that they're creating a mass of stupid people, and more that those stupid people used to be able to go into trades and manufacturing which doesn't exist as much now, so now they have to go to college to earn enough to live. I don't think we're getting dumber, we're just watering down the quality of those we let into postsecondary education.

[Stormlance]

This course seems kind of racist doesn't it?

When did tribalism become a thing again exactly?

[Damajin]

I'd say it's less that they're creating a mass of stupid people, and more that those stupid people used to be able to go into trades and manufacturing which doesn't exist as much now, so now they have to go to college to earn enough to live. I don't think we're getting dumber, we're just watering down the quality of those we let into postsecondary education.

Fair assessment, though I'll say that I've spoken to my youngest brother, sister and various cousins all of whom graduated HS within the last 5-8 years and there's a variety of quite general topics that I grew up learning, that everyone learned and that was kind of foundational in what you'd call common sense smarts and these kids were never taught any of that at all. It amazes me that general education these days has prepared modern kids so poorly and we've got these people walking around who you have to specifically train to understand that a loan has to be repaid, that sexual harassment is bad, etc. It's like wtf were you actually learning in grades 1-12 then?

It definitely feels like a generational separation in intellect and common sense, irrespective of the availabilities of training or schooling for them after they finish HS.

[Vanyali]

Fair assessment, though I'll say that I've spoken to my youngest brother, sister and various cousins all of whom graduated HS within the last 5-8 years and there's a variety of quite general topics that I grew up learning, that everyone learned and that was kind of foundational in what you'd call common sense smarts and these kids were never taught any of that at all. It amazes me that general education these days has prepared modern kids so poorly and we've got these people walking around who you have to specifically train to understand that a loan has to be repaid, that sexual harassment is bad, etc. It's like wtf were you actually learning in grades 1-12 then?

It definitely feels like a generational separation in intellect and common sense, irrespective of the availabilities of training or schooling for them after they finish HS.

No Child Left Behind.

I know people like to shit on it... but it deserves it.

We teach kids how to take tests, and how to prepared for tests, and that these tests have to be passed for funding, and that only what's on the tests are important.. and it ends up being so much test and test prep that there's not any time for actual teaching, because what's on the tests is generally not worth a shit for any sort of real education.

[Damajin]

No Child Left Behind.

I know people like to shit on it... but it deserves it.

We teach kids how to take tests, and how to prepared for tests, and that these tests have to be passed for funding, and that only what's on the tests are important.. and it ends up being so much test and test prep that there's not any time for actual teaching, because what's on the tests is generally not worth a shit for any sort of real education.

Yeah that was a load of shit, as is the whole Common Core thing. Teach kids how to critically think, how to assess and theorize, draw conclusions and see both the static and dynamic in a problem or situation but mostly teach them how to critically think. If schools aren't doing that they're just flushing 12 years down the drain.

[zorkuus]

Despite Wisconsin having become a conservative state in the last few years, Madison is still West Moscow.

Russia is super conservative. Try again.

[Theodarzna]

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine

Thanks to your avatar I read all of your posts in my head in John Oliver's voice.