This is what an “education” looks like these days.
Stanford University, considered to be one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States – ranked #2 by Top Universities and tied for #3 by US News – published what they call the “Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative” that urges students and staff to stop using and replace certain words that may be deemed offensive to others.
The list was first in May of this year but only now is it starting to see the light of day.
The Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative (EHLI) is a multi-phase, multi-year project to address harmful language in IT at Stanford. EHLI is one of the actions prioritized in the Statement of Solidarity and Commitment to Action, which was published by the Stanford CIO Council and People of Color in Technology (POC-IT) affinity group in December 2020 as part of the IDEAL IT strategic initiative.
Terms on the website are grouped into categories: Ableist, Ageism, Culturally Appropriative, Gender-based, Imprecise Language, Institutionalized Racism, Person-First, and Violent. Terms that don’t fit into any of those categories are gathered under “Additional Considerations.”
Says the website description
The external link takes viewers to the list of terms the university suggests you stop using or replace with instead. Nearly 50 words have been condemned thus far, and more can be added upon request and deliberation.
