University Dean Bit the Dust Over DEI Push
Florida opposes the alleged "woke" mentality and dismisses the university president pledging 'DEI 2.0'.
Take a seat, folks! The Dean of Students at UNC Asheville, Megan Pugh, is out of a job following her admission to pushing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives. Let's dive into the drama that unfolded.
Oklahoma state superintendent Ryan Walters and author Bethany Mandel share their thoughts on the ouster of Pugh, who found herself in hot water for promoting DEI agendas.
Florida is birds of a feather flocking together! The rejection of Santa Ono as the sole nominee to lead the University of Florida marks a victory for both Florida and the US education system as a whole. It's time to wave goodbye to the domino effect of universities succumbing to the woke mind virus that prioritized identity politics and leftist ideologies over academics.
On this same note, Ono, who used to be at the helm of the University of Michigan, was considered a “moderate” for promising DEI 2.0 and considering racism as America's original sin in his inauguration speech in 2023. Now, that's gotta hurt!
His ambition to institutionalize DEI had a detailed strategy that aimed to emphasize DEI initiatives, build a campus-wide effort, and make them a part of the university's core. Needless to say, his vision wasn’t embraced by the Florida Board of Governors.
Incidentally, Ono had quite the track record during his tenure at the University of British Columbia. He was all about the land acknowledgements and writing op-eds about the “systemic racial inequities” that haunted academia. His commitment to leftist politics was unwavering!
But the icing on the cake was when Ono committed the University of Michigan to a shared commitment to pluralism, free speech, and intellectual diversity during his inauguration speech in 2023. Well, that's a good intention, but in reality, radical protesters had a field day interrupting events with no repercussions, while free speech advocates were left in the lurch.
Ono tried to play damage control in his recent rehabilitation tour, emphasizing his alignment with the state's vision and values for public education. However, his sudden conversion a mere month earlier raised eyebrows, due to his past support for liberal policies and an anti-Trump letter that eventually had his name scrubbed from it as he was being considered for the UF role.
Proving that the Florida Board of Governors isn't one to mess with, the Board overturned the unanimous vote for Santa Ono made by the University of Florida's Board of Trustees. Phew! That takes some guts! The final vote was 10-6 with one member abstaining.
Several members of the Board of Governors posed tough questions to Ono during his rehabilitation tour, aiming to understand his beliefs and actions concerning anti-Israel protests on campus, among other issues. One of the most diligent questioners was Vice Chair of the Board of Governors Alan Levine, who probed Ono for his lackadaisical response to the anti-Israel protests and subsequent events, vowing that antisemitism would not rear its ugly head again at the University of Florida.
In the grand scheme of things, the Florida Board of Governors' stance towards DEI reflects a wider political trend in Florida under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis. The state has taken a hardline approach to DEI initiatives, restricting diversity-related hiring and imposing ideological requirements on university administrators[3]. The Board's decision to reject Ono reflects this political climate and opposition to DEI programs[2][3].
Karol Markowicz, a columnist for the New York Post and author of "Stolen Youth: How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence and Indoctrinating a Generation," adds her two cents to the issue. Follow her Twitter handle @Karol for her searing insights on the current state of education and politics.
In response to the ousting of Megan Pugh at UNC Asheville, both Oklahoma state superintendent Ryan Walters and author Bethany Mandel have expressed their opinions on the matter, criticizing DEI agendas that prioritize identity politics and leftist ideologies over academics.
The rejection of Santa Ono as the sole nominee to lead the University of Florida is seen as a victory for education and self-development, illustrating a growing resistance against the 'woke mind virus' that infiltrates policy and legislation in universities.
Karol Markowicz, a columnist and author, shares her concerns about the erosion of innocence and indoctrination in education, offering her insights on the current state of politics and education through her Twitter handle @Karol.
