Grand Canyon Times

The Goldwater Institute has released a report detailing the overhaul of University of Arizona's (UA) general education program to prioritize "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) course work over core subjects like American history and civics— a violation of state directives.  

Highlighted in the report are several concerning findings, including explicit instructions for self-censorship among mandated courses in DEI, which are now a requirement for graduation.

The investigation by Goldwater reveals that DEI courses often promote activism rather than the genuine understanding of other cultures. 

Timothy K. Minella, a Senior Fellow at the Goldwater Institute’s Van Sittert Center for Constitutional Advocacy, authored the report titled: "Anti-Bug Bigotry? The Academically Unserious DEI Mandates of University of Arizona." 

Minella highlights a UA course in the report that asks students to simulate the experience of marginalized groups by "living like a bug," complete with tasking them to wear tissue paper "wings."  

This move reflects UA's ideological bent in its curriculum, and a broader trend in public universities nationwide, where DEI ideology is overshadowing traditional education. 

Goldwater notes that the shift towards DEI-focused curricula is evident in other universities, where courses on "microaggressions" and "cisgender privilege" are mandated. The report argues that the consequences of this shift are visible in recent campus unrest, including anti-Semitic sentiments and violence as ideological divides deepen. 

“For years, leftists have plotted to turn colleges into breeding grounds for activists by infusing the poisonous ideas of DEI into every aspect of campus life, from admissions to faculty hiring to classroom indoctrination,” the Goldwater Institute said in a press release. 

“In recent weeks, the consequences of this scheme became all too clear. College campuses turned into hotbeds for mob violence, unprovoked assaults, and anti-Semitic calls for terrorism and genocide—all while Jewish students were forced to live in fear as their schools refuse to protect their rights. Sadly, it should come as no surprise that the same intolerant campus leftists who can’t stomach conservative speakers have decided Jewish students are “oppressors' who deserve to be harassed, or worse.” 

The solution proposed by the Goldwater Institute is the Freedom from Indoctrination Act, which seeks to eliminate politically activist DEI courses and restore focus on core subjects. 

By mandating basic instruction in American history and civics, the act aims to reclaim universities' role as citadels of knowledge and critical thinking. It calls upon state legislatures and university boards to prioritize genuine education over ideological agendas, thus safeguarding the integrity of higher education.

The introduction of the act is proposed as a solution to protect academic integrity and ensure compliance with educational standards. Goldwater's report urges the Arizona Board of Regents to take action in reforming the university's curriculum to prioritize genuine education over ideological agendas.

The proposed act aims to safeguard academic freedom while addressing the subtle ways universities promote DEI ideologies. By mandating a focus on First Amendment principles and historical examples of free speech in orientation programs, it seeks to balance ideological perspectives. 

Furthermore, it would prohibit universities from coercing students into DEI coursework and protects professors from pressure to incorporate DEI content into their teaching. 

“More than 90 percent of colleges pack their orientation programs with DEI content,'' the American Enterprise Institute’s Matt Beienburg said in a paper on the topic. “Fewer than a third, how-ever, mention anything about free speech or viewpoint diversity. The Freedom from Indoctrination Act would reverse these trends by mandating that universities’ orientation programming promote discussion of the First Amendment, the principles and importance of free speech and viewpoint diversity, and historical examples demonstrating the social utility of protecting unpopular speech.”

“Any DEI-related orientation programming, by contrast, would cease to be mandatory, and universities would be required to post orientation audio, video, or printed materials where the public can access them. This should hedge against the kinds of ideological indoctrination even college administrators might feel shy about letting see the light of day.”

Emphasizing the importance of leadership in implementing reforms, the act empowers university governing boards to prioritize genuine education over political activism.

Additionally, it advocates for a curriculum that instills a comprehensive understanding of American principles, ensuring students are equipped with knowledge of core values and historical context. 

By promoting academic integrity and protecting against ideological capture, the Freedom from Indoctrination Act offers a path to reclaiming the educational mission of higher institutions.

The Goldwater Institute, located in Phoenix, Ariz., is a conservative and libertarian public policy think tank. It was founded in 1988 with the blessing of former U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater.