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Why (non-HBCU) Universities will always be run by Old Straight White Men: A Thread.
Most people don't understand the hierarchy of University authority/infrastructure. Many think that the President is a legally recognized leader of the University. This is incorrect 1/
Most people don't understand the hierarchy of University authority/infrastructure. Many think that the President is a legally recognized leader of the University. This is incorrect 1/
The officiating body of a University that is recognized by the state and federal governments is the Board of Trustees. The President is simply the liaison between the Board of Trustees and the University Employees/Student Body. 100% of the President's hiring process 2/
is handled by the Board.
Interestingly, the Board of Trustees is usually made up not of Educators, but rather by businessmen and in some cases religious leaders. These business men and religious leaders (not educators) decide among themselves who would be the best 3/
Interestingly, the Board of Trustees is usually made up not of Educators, but rather by businessmen and in some cases religious leaders. These business men and religious leaders (not educators) decide among themselves who would be the best 3/
fit for being the figurehead for the University. The University's President's BOSS is a collection of businessmen and religious leaders who can decide at any point when the President's tenure is completed. 4/
Interestingly, the Board of Trustees is also Self Governing and Self Perpetuating. This means that they not only decides on their own rules and regulations, but they also personally appoint new members. Notice I said appoint, not "hire."
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When we self govern and self perpetuate, we tend to only appoint people who look and think like us. It should be of no surprise that many Private Universities were founded when straight, old, white, landowning males were (still are) dominant in business and religion.
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Thankfully, the Board of Trustees has a Faculty Liaison who is supposed to act as a buffer between the needs of the Board of Trustees and the needs of the students. It would make the most sense that faculty and students voted on this Faculty Liaison. Unfortunately,
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That is never the case. The Board of Trustees is also in charge of appointing who represents the students and teaching faculty. At most private Universities, this is usually a religious leader who has close ties to the Board, and who also has no known term limit.
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One hope is that a progressive/educator makes it on to the Board of Trustees and can slowly be a force for appointing more diverse members--which brings us to the #1 problem of the Board of Trustees.
Every Board has a leader, at Catholic Universities this is the "Chancellor." 9/
Every Board has a leader, at Catholic Universities this is the "Chancellor." 9/
The Chancellor has ABSOLUTE and UNDENIABLE authority to veto any decision made by the rest of the Board. In the Ohio and Kentucky, the Chancellor of every Board of Trustees is the Diocesan Bishop.
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This means that the Bishop, who likely has no background in University education, and who is undoubtedly very conservative, can with absolute authority veto every decision made with the Board of Trustees.
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A specific problem this poses: If a progressive minority educator is appointed to the Board of Trustees, Faculty Liaison, or President, the Bishop can veto it for any reason.
When it comes to education, the Board of Trustees can decide which topics to BAN in the classroom
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When it comes to education, the Board of Trustees can decide which topics to BAN in the classroom
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Even if the entire Board of Trustees was made of progressive minority LGBTQ+ educators, the Bishop could still decide to Ban Sex Education, Abortion Education, LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, unisex bathrooms etc.
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TL:DR
If I were hypothetically a college professor at a Catholic Institution and I wanted to teach, in my SCIENCE classes, the scientific PROOF about trans/gay/bi being REAL, I am expressly forbidden because of a religious old white dude with no background in education.
If I were hypothetically a college professor at a Catholic Institution and I wanted to teach, in my SCIENCE classes, the scientific PROOF about trans/gay/bi being REAL, I am expressly forbidden because of a religious old white dude with no background in education.
