James Madison University has changed its mind.
Kind of.
For now.
The college has decided not to continue its woke student employee training â at least, not without a review.
As I covered Saturday, the Virginia school recently required enrollees working in the Office of Student Affairs to take utilize an âopportunity.â
Via job training, young adults were informed they fit into one of two groups: privileged (agent) or oppressed (target).
To put it in other termsâŠ
- Able-Bodied
- 30âs to Early 50âs
- Man, Cisgender People
- Heterosexual
- Heteroromantic
- Christian
- White
- American
- Below 30âs, Older Than 50âs
- Woman, Transgender, Nonbinary, Genderqueer
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Asexual, Pansexual
- Homoromantic, Aromantic, By/Panromantic
- Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Atheist, Agnostic, Pagan
- Black, Asian, Latinx
- Anywhere Outside America
To supplement that incomplete list, a few definitions:
Pansexual: Anyone attracted to people of all genders and sexes, or regardless of sex and gender.
Homoromantic: A person who isâŠromantically attracted to people who are the same or a similar gender as them.
Heteroromantic: someone who is romantically attracted to a member of the opposite sex or gender.
Aromantic: Someone who experiences little or no romantic attraction to other people. Being aromantic is not the same as being asexual.
For those whoâd like to learn more about aromantics, there are several types:
- Demiromantic
- Lithromantic
- Gray-aromantic
- Quoiromantic
- Cupioromantic
Back to JMU, privileged people were told they possess âunearned social power accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society to ALL members of a dominant group at the expense of (the) targeted groups.â
Of course, the school couldâve just taught the staff how to do their jobs.
But those in charge went a different way.
A school rep explained to Fox News:
âThe training was held to help ensure that every student guide for freshmen orientation had the tools and understanding to work with incoming students, who might have a different background than their own. At JMU, we strive to create an inclusive and welcoming community for all students.â
Imagine being a white Christian whoâs about to work with a gay Latino. And just before the start of your employment, youâre told you oppress that guy.
Imagine being a black Welsh lesbian and being informed your soon-to-be straight American coworker is victimizing you.
Does that build a better workplace?
The schoolâs answer was obvious, given the efforts made.
However, in the aftermath of publicity, President Jonathan Alger has pressed Pause:
âWe have decided to pause the training in question for evaluation and review with a variety of JMU constituents.â
âThese are challenging topics to discuss,â he admitted in a statement. âAnd we know that they are important and demand a lot of thought and care. The ongoing work of the university can, and must be, to seek to have such conversations in ways that honor and respect all members of our community.â
Lest you misunderstand:
âWe value and respect individuals of all backgrounds. ⊠[W]e will continue to strive to create a climate in which everyone feels welcome and respected.â
âThe ongoing work of the university can,â he said, âand must be, to seek to have such conversations in ways that honor and respect all members of our community.â
In the meantime, JMUâs removed the training video from YouTube.
According to school paper The Breeze, âStudent employees were told not to share the video with others once their training was completed.â
Presumably, that was to prevent criticism, such as that tweeted by Virginia Senator Mark Obenshain:
âLiberals love to assert that [Critical Race Theory]Â is just made-up conservative propaganda. Take a look at the linked training video JMU is forcing on its student employees. I hope students donât have to buy into this woke nonsense in order to hold campus jobs.â
Liberals love to assert that CRT is just made-up conservative propaganda. Take a look at the linked training video JMU is forcing on its student employees. I hope students donât have to buy into this woke nonsense in order to hold campus jobshttps://t.co/H53yqdbXi3
— Mark Obenshain (@MarkObenshain) August 19, 2021
As made clear in an email to The Breeze, as for state House Delegate Tony Wilt, heâs old school:
âLook, folks, forcing these ideologies down our studentsâ throats will get us nowhere,â Wilt said in the statement. âWe need our educational institutions to get back to their intended purpose â providing a high-quality education for every student.â
Tony â like many critics of contemporary collegeâs woke ways â may be a bit too old schoolâŠfor new school.
-ALEX