Reply to DEI at Michigan--NYT article

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Okay so takeaway is:

Michigan = bad
Don't let your kids apply to it.

Please[/quote]

Right? As a Michigan parent, this is not going to matter. Michigan is still (like all the other top schools) going to be a huge prize. My kid is having the time of his life and getting a great education. People are always thrilled for him that he got in and is there. This article isn't changing anything.[/quote]

He may be assumed to be a "DEI" grad by potential employers. [/quote]

Yes, we lie awake nights concerned about our white, top grades, econ major kid being pigeon-holed in this manor.
But seriously, as others have posted, we have no regrets about part of the tuition money we've spent going to fund this experiment (if it even has - didn't see where the funds came from). [b]Race relations in this country are fraught and complicated and Michigan is at least trying.[/b][/quote]

I’ll take them doing something imperfectly over doing nothing. 
[/quote]

But it makes things worse rather than better. Anybody surprised that trying to cultivate equality by giving preference to certain groups doesn’t work? [/quote]

A lot of DEI initiatives are what I consider informational/educational/culturally-sensitive outreach.  They do not relate in any way to admission or employment processes.  Michigan's admission practices have been subject to a lot of legal scrutiny and even state law over the past 20 years.  So the reviewed initiatives could be considered inefficient or ineffective outreach but they are not "preference".  My family's not bothered if there's extra efforts to recruit low-income kids.  Our family came from that kind of background but now we don't need help to get on the UMC train.

Also I'm white and I'm painfully aware from remarks made in my presence that a lot of white people don't want to study any material related to controversial topics.  And many find DEI topics controversial.  Foreign languages and cultures also are a tough sell for many mainstream Americans.

I think the required race & ethnicity distribution class at Michigan has a wide variety of topics and anyone can find a class they are comfortable with.  I believe I remember classes on Detroit car culture, Polish immigration to the US, basic anthropology electives, etc.  There are also some peer-facilitated dialogue classes for people who want to have constructive conversations and feel brave enough to try.

I do regret that the NYT interviewed black students at Michigan feel unwelcome/not comfortable in this current era.  I did not get that impression from my black peers in the MBA program in parent times.   I can say however, that I was surprised to be one of the only white students attending the Black Business Students' Conference during my school years.  It was excellent.  Just like other "diversity" conferences I attended during my MBA - the Michigan Business Women's leadership conference, the Asian business students' international-themed conference, and the Students for Responsible Business/Net Impact conference.

I was very impressed with my classmates at Michigan.  Would do it all over again, and now my oldest is a freshman.  We get no merit aid or financial aid but in-state costs are reasonable by national standards and much cheaper than out of state flagships with some merit aid. WL at DC's only Ivy of interest so could not test the assertion that Ivies can be cheaper than flagships.[/quote]

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