At the University of Texas, acceptance is determined more by spirit than by substance.
University of Austin (UATX) was founded on the principles of free speech to push back against “woke” ideology and what some call MEI (merit, excellence, and intelligence). It’s skirting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, but it’s just another way schools are transforming higher education.
Pano Canellos, the university’s president, told CBS News that race, ethnicity and gender “are not considered at all in our admissions process.” “What we are most interested in is the mind.”
Merit, Excellence and Intelligence (MEI) emphasizes qualifications and abilities, particularly the “ability to think deeply,” according to Kanellos.
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UT Austin offers a free speech alternative to more progressive universities. (Online, University of Austin)
The idea is to push back on increasingly controversial DEI policies that prioritize certain ethnicities, racial backgrounds and other demographics in admissions and hiring processes. Once a staple among many companies and higher education institutions, the concept appears to be losing traction as some people dial down its presence.
The University of Florida, for example, eliminated all DEI positions earlier this year to comply with state law. Universities in Alabama, including the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, have also disbanded their DEI offices to comply with state law.
Companies are also backing away from DEI, including retail giant Walmart, which jumped on the trend this week after companies like Ford, John Deere and Toyota made similar efforts.
Critics of DEI suggest that such policies prioritize appearance and basic qualities over qualifications and experience. But MEI’s critics have other concerns. 60 Minutes correspondent John Wertheim said UATX’s student body does not appear to be “particularly diverse” when he discussed admissions policies with some of the school’s founders.
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UT Austin students are admitted on the basis of academic merit, according to the school’s founders. (St. Petersburg)
Diversity looks different at UATX, the founders say.
British-American historian Niall Ferguson says, “We put resources into finding intellectually diverse people, and if you’re interested in diversity, you should be looking at the social I recommend that you look at their background and family environment.” Another member of the university founding group responded:
Another of the founders is Bari Weiss, a former New York Times opinion journalist who now runs Free Press, an independent site focused on free speech and debate.
The admissions process and the school itself are largely left-leaning elite universities such as Harvard, Yale, and Columbia, as well as public universities that have downsized or completely disbanded, such as those in Florida and Alabama. offers a more conservative alternative. DEI sector according to seasonal changes.
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DEI policies aim to end racial and other inequalities by preferentially including selected groups. (St. Petersburg)
Currently, UATX relies on the generosity of its donors to thrive, but the assumption that all donors are conservative business moguls is flawed. In fact, the article says the free speech policy resonates with liberal donor Nadine Strossen.
She argues that “punishing expression” does more harm than good. When responding to a question about “hate speech” at UATX, she said: “What I’m concerned about is trying to eliminate underlying discriminatory attitudes. We don’t do it by punishing expression. We do it through education, we do it through more speech. ”No less. ”
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