It's been difficult grappling with what's happened to higher ed since I retired from college teaching at the height of TDS. Though I never could get on the tenure track because I couldn't lie well enough to write a convincing diversity statement, I had been left alone to teach as I saw fit, never seriously considering the cultural and political impact of critical studies until the situation reached a boiling point, when my colleagues went apeshit with Trump's election in 2016 and the administration expanded and "reaffirmed its commitment to equity," including some of the usual horseshit about diversity. The mission statement--revised in reaction to Trump's election--was laughable, in one sentence "reaffirming the commitment to equity and diversity" and "acknowledging the importance of free speech and academic freedom."
I was extremely lucky to retire after 20 years in and get the opportunity to leave California when I did.
It's been difficult grappling with what's happened to higher ed since I retired from college teaching at the height of TDS. Though I never could get on the tenure track because I couldn't lie well enough to write a convincing diversity statement, I had been left alone to teach as I saw fit, never seriously considering the cultural and political impact of critical studies until the situation reached a boiling point, when my colleagues went apeshit with Trump's election in 2016 and the administration expanded and "reaffirmed its commitment to equity," including some of the usual horseshit about diversity. The mission statement--revised in reaction to Trump's election--was laughable, in one sentence "reaffirming the commitment to equity and diversity" and "acknowledging the importance of free speech and academic freedom."
I was extremely lucky to retire after 20 years in and get the opportunity to leave California when I did.