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No Woke-ism to See Here, Move Along Now: UVa Update

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James A. Bacon
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by James A. Bacon

As Woke-ism deniers ramp up their obfuscations of the implementation of Woke social-justice ideology in Virginia’s schools and colleges, the evidence keeps pouring in. Yesterday, a source forwarded to me the following communication by Elyse Girard (She/They) at the University of Virginia regarding the hiring of a new Dean for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility at the University of library.

Let’s set aside the fact that the library has managed up to now to vigorously pursue its vision of diversity and equity without the necessity of adding an associate dean to its payroll. (See “How Not to Create a Diverse, Welcoming Workplace.) This job application openly advertises ideological criteria for the job. Applicants must have “a sophisticated understanding of anti-racism, intersectionality, and social justice.”

By “sophisticated understanding,” Girard is saying that the applicant must be well versed in the full range of leftist, social-justice thinking in which “anti-racism” means reverse racism, and “intersectionality” refers to an appreciation of the overlapping systems of oppression by race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.

UVa Library wants to “shift culture” and “manage change.” What a frightening goal for the curators of the storehouse of knowledge contained in the university’s library! How long before these librarians are giving George Orwell lessons on how to manage the memory hole?

Are librarians at every higher-ed institution equally woke? Is this example an aberration, or is it typical of what’s happening in university libraries across Virginia? Citizens need to know.

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26 responses to “No Woke-ism to See Here, Move Along Now: UVa Update”

  1. vicnicholls Avatar
    vicnicholls

    They are – it starts with the horsedump left in the General Assembly by librarians mad because they are getting challenged.

  2. VaNavVet Avatar
    VaNavVet

    Seems appropriate for hiring a I,D,E, and A dean. Perhaps a sophisticated understanding means to understand both sides of the issue with all of its complexities. As for shifting and managing culture good luck with that as both sides seem to be completely dug in and beyond all appeals to reason. Like with BR there is only one side and tribalism is espoused.

    1. Lefty665 Avatar
      Lefty665

      Rooting out the dug in religious cult of woke racism has been largely a thankless task. I am grateful that BR, among others, has been willing to take it on and has sided with the tribe of rational people against fanatic cultists.

      Once the cult of woke racism has been exorcised perhaps we can get back to building real progress for all Americans by doing things like teaching all kids to read.

      1. VaNavVet Avatar
        VaNavVet

        What religion are you referencing? Rational people would be willing to listen to both sides and to look for any common ground rather than to retreat to their silo. The woke racists are commonly called white supremacists.

    2. Wareagle82 Avatar
      Wareagle82

      When the qualifications include “a sophisticated understanding of anti-racism, intersectionality, and social justice” one side of the issue has been deemed as illegitimate.

      1. VaNavVet Avatar
        VaNavVet

        A closed mind learns nothing!

  3. John Harvie Avatar
    John Harvie

    “intersectionality” refers to an appreciation of the overlapping systems of oppression by race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.”

    Do we really have “overlapping systems of oppression”? What kind of bureaucratic verbiage is this anyway? Some of them must lie awake nights thinking how to use such obfuscation in a sentence.

    1. Wareagle82 Avatar
      Wareagle82

      Intersectionality refers to the point when the identitarian left realized that it was full of it, but it was too far down the rabbit hole to find its way out.

  4. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    No, I am not willing to set aside the question of why the University needs an associate dean for DEI. In fact, this leads to another question: Would this be the only associate dean affiliated with the library, or are there other associate deans for other activities? Even if the library were going to emphasize DEI, why is there a need for an associate need? Why can’t the librarian do it? What would this associate dean position actually do?

    1. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
      James Wyatt Whitehead

      What would this associate dean position actually do? Getting paid and loving it is my bet.

  5. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    So, in this sea of wretched wokeism… are there ANY higher ed schools that have rejected this stuff?

    How about Liberty or Perdue or Reagent?

  6. Lefty665 Avatar
    Lefty665

    I’d have figured that Accessibility would have been addressed long and merry ago. It was mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Has UVa so failed at complying with that law over the last 30+ years that there is a need for a dean now? Or has “accessibility” been deformed into a stalking horse for something else?

    Perhaps we can take solace in UVa’s retrenchment from Godliness (DEI) to a mere thought (IDEA).

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Amazingly, Universities are horrible at making the ADA accommodations. Google “student sues school ADA” and look at the number of — wait for it — LAW schools have been sued for some very basic infractions, e.g., ramps, seating in lecture halls, restrooms, entrance access, etc.

      1. Randy Huffman Avatar
        Randy Huffman

        Its been a long time since I dealt with ADA matters, and never in the Public Sector; but I do recall that while older facilities had to comply with the rules, there were some protective provisions if they could not be readily achievable. An area I am sure of controversy and in some cases litigation.

        1. Lefty665 Avatar
          Lefty665

          UVa was proud of its efforts to provide access to historical buildings without defacing their historical value.

          “reasonable accommodation” is the standard, and what that means can vary. In some, especially older, places making accommodations can be very difficult and expensive thus raising the question of what is “reasonable”.

          I do take NN’s point that some places, especially ones that should know better, have actively resisted making accommodations.

        2. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          No doubt, can’t move some walls.

      2. Lefty665 Avatar
        Lefty665

        Has UVa so utterly failed at providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities that it needs a dean for accessibility?

        Years ago I saw presentations by UVa on how it was complying with ADA while preserving its historical architectural integrity. Were those phony?

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          Don’t know. The case that I recall was UofMich law school. The student, wheelcair bound, was forced to sit in the aisle. Simply unbolting some front row seats in the auditorium would have been a permanent solution implemented in every theatre in the US.

  7. Acbar Avatar
    Acbar

    And what, Dick, did the Library ever intend in the first place by hiring someone with the lofty title of “Executive Director of Communications and User Experience” (who also has the titles “Designer” and “Design Researcher”)? There was a time when the prefix “executive director” indicated significant rank and authority. But this example has time left over to spend as a “design researcher.” How quaint to place a “design researcher” in charge of hiring an “associate dean” — not to mention an associate dean of DEI-ty.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      🙂

    2. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      That occurred to me, but I decided it was just an example of fancying up job titles. This person was, in reality, a PR director. Of course, that begs the question of why the library needs a PR director.

      1. Wareagle82 Avatar
        Wareagle82

        For the university library, at that, a place that should not be a mystery to either students or locals. I lived in a college town long ago. The library was not a secret.

      2. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Because libraries are targets?

  8. kls Avatar
    kls

    A good librarian will collect data on the gender belief, race, height, weight, blood pressure, and footwear of every student checking out books [all four on every campus].

  9. Wareagle82 Avatar
    Wareagle82

    It’s a library. If you want diversity and inclusion, then include worthwhile titles from a wide range of authors on a wide range of subjects, which you ought to be doing anyway. Simple stuff. Doesn’t require a highly-paid Associate Dean of anything.

  10. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    I realize that the UVa library has more than books. It has a large, valuable collection of manuscripts and papers donated by many people prominent in Virginia history, ranging from Thomas Jefferson to Carter Glass to Harry Byrd to Frederick Ribble (long-time dean of UVa Law School). If the library does not already have an archivist specializing in material from persons other than “dead white guys”, it should be searching for someone like that, rather than an associate dean with nebulous duties.

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