Yale prof raises concerns over current state of DEI and 'politicization of the university'
A Yale University professor has expressed skepticism over the impact of current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices in higher education.
'Ironically, the most culturally disadvantaged or frequently ignored groups on campus tend to be not minorities, but working class whites from small towns in the South and the rural Midwest,' Professor Steven Smith said during a recent lecture.
A Yale University professor has expressed skepticism over the impact of current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices in higher education.
Political Science Professor Steven Smith recently made his remarks during a talk, titled “Yale, Then and Now,” delivered as part of the Allan Bloom Forum speaker series, the Yale Daily News reports.
Smith reportedly began by acknowledging the positive affects of legislation like the G.I. Bill of 1944, saying that, “The spirit of openness and inclusion took the place of older assumptions of privilege and entitlement, by opening their doors to merit.”
However, Smith expressed concerns over the current state of “belonging” at Yale due to DEI.
“Would there be a place for Socrates, Spinoza or Ralph Waldo Emerson, even me on today’s campus? These are questions that never seem to occur to our DEI establishment,” he reportedly stated. “This development has led to an alarming politicization of the university.”
The professor also emphasized that DEI has produced additional problems relating to victimization, implicit bias, inclusivity, and a sense of exclusion.
“Ironically, the most culturally disadvantaged or frequently ignored groups on campus tend to be not minorities, but working class whites from small towns in the South and the rural Midwest,” he continued. “Many of these students … have grown up far from the centers of power and influence.”
“The response has been the creation of an army of therapists, mental health counselors and other administrators always ready to go,” he added. “The demand for more mental health services is something I constantly hear.”
Smith, who reportedly said he is a Democrat during the lecture, also discussed complications stemming from the push for an overemphasis on STEM in higher education and learning, and how so few college courses offer learning focused on the “old books” of non-STEM fields.
“This is not so much science as scientism, with its belief that all the great problems facing civilization are technological in nature and can be resolved by experts trained in game theory, rational choice analysis and scientific methods of decision making,” Smith remarked. “Consequently, the scope of research has become narrow to fit with the demands of what can be empirically tested. By narrowing the lens, they have flattened the screen.”
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Smith has taught at Yale since 1984, according to his university biography. In 2021, he authored a book called, Reclaiming Patriotism in an Age of Extremes.
Campus Reform has contacted Steven Smith for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.