EMAIL TO JESUS TREVINO (FROM A KNST LISTENER):
This is the most idiotic, USELESS, childish thing I have ever heard of! The U of A is wasting its money on your salary and YOU are making the school a source of embarrassment to Tucson! College classrooms are supposedly populated with ADULTS and all this treating them like little pre-schoolers is doing no one any favors. I have heard some colleges are now having "nap times" as well. Do those kids want a blankie and a bah-bah for their nappy-wappy too? No wonder Donald Trump won the election! Those of us who voted for him just had to take a look around at how dumb-downed the liberal faction has become, in fact, you are a laughing stock and should quite embarrassed that the news of your stupid "ouch/oops" program has been uncovered. What happens if a conservative student is offended by an anti-Trump comment? Will that student be acknowledged as having been offended? I doubt so. Well Mr. Trevino, just when I thought I had seen the stupidest of the stupid with the "nap time", up pops the news of YOUR little gem of idiocy to top it. I am ashamed of the UofA.
JESUS TREVINO'S RESPONSE:
I’m afraid you’ve been misinformed. I circulated the guidelines in response to concerns I received from conservative students who didn’t feel like they could fully express themselves in class. Moreover, many faculty wanted to make sure that all viewpoints, both conservative and liberal (or middle ground), were expressed to maximize free speech allowing students to talk to each other (as opposed to over each other).
The guidelines are meant to facilitate discussions among people who often don’t speak up and to help them get their viewpoint with the help of their professors. This is one of the most effective ways we can foster and enhance free speech across the campus and enhance the learning process.
Inclusive excellence requires that we hear from all of our stakeholders and that we make sure all of them feel free to speak their mind. You may be interested to know that one of our major initiatives this semester is a pilot project that brings groups of students together who don’t typically talk to each other and show them how to listen to others and make their own points at the same time.
There’s nothing in the guidelines that puts any perspective above any other.
Sincerely,
Jesús Treviño, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence and Senior Diversity Officer
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Office for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence/Office of the Provost
University of Arizona
University Services Building
Email: jesustrevino@email.arizona.edu