THE University of Diversity (or something)

Help! Liberal do-gooderism is running amok (again) on campus (not surprising)... Now it's creeping into continuing education! Of course THE University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is well known for being a liberal hotbed... so I guess it was just a matter of time before this would rear its ugly head outside the undergraduate arena... [The following excerpts are from an e-mail making the rounds at campus last week -- for faculty and staff. It's about upcoming Continuing Education offerings for professionals...]

"The Training & Development Department would like to highlight two of its many course offerings from our Program Guide. Spaces are available in these programs and there is still time to register:

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Fiber: What is it? What do you do with it?
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This course is an elective for the Wellness certificate track."

Okay, we'll give them that one, even though it's presented as if the reader would have no clue as to fiber's benefits, but it's probably not a bad idea for health care professionals.

But check this one out:

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You're not from 'round here, are you?
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"This course is a core requirement for the Diversity certificate track.

"Cultural differences based on region-of-birth within the United States create distinctive speech communities whose vocabulary and interactive-style may lead to misunderstanding or ill-will in communities and among work colleagues. This workshop will help supervisors and employees to identify how regional differences influence assumptions, values and beliefs as well as communication patterns that can interfere with effective job performance, supervision and promotion. Differences in work group culture and style will also be examined for cultural influences such as profit vs. non-profit organizations, small vs. large companies, etc.

"In this session, participants will learn to do the following:
-- recognize the impact of region-of-birth on personal identity and development of speech community patterns (north-south, east coast-west coast, urban-rural, etc.)

"-- understand the differences between direct/instrumental and indirect/expressive communication styles and their affect
"-- explore how assumptions and lack of information sustain negative stereotypes about regional traits that may create inhospitable work environments in which people feel excluded and not valued

"-- examine cultural dominance and how it limits relationships and work performance in diverse work settings (profit/non-profit; academic/corporate, large/small companies, etc.)"

Gee, I honestly didn't know there was such a thing as a "diversity" certificate. Come to think of it, it may also be a prerequisite for the "Two Americas" course... Must check with the Law School on that -- don't they have some ex-Senator on the dole supposedly looking into poverty or something?

[As an aside, John Edwards was searching the midwest last week hoping to raise money (although I doubt it was to ward off poverty!). Come to think of it, I hope it wasn't paid time off... he hasn't been at UNC long enough to have earned more than a few hours.]

So let me get this straight: we're spending taxpayer dollars to teach supposedly educated people that folks from different parts of the country speak differently and (because of that) may be (unfairly) associated with certain stereotypes???

Are the "educrats" so thoroughly convinced they alone, just by pointing this out, can make everyone instantly get along better? Oh no, must not offend!

Hmmm... "Can't we all just get along?" Now where have I heard that before? Oh yeah, from Professor Rodney King! From the University of Hard Knocks (Literally) at LA.

Truly amazing. We have folks in this world wanting to kill all of us just for being Americans and the Ivory Tower elite folks want to make us all into politically correct inoffensive dweebs.

They really have no clue at all, do they?