George Korda: UT’s microaggressions laboratory: Where free … – Knoxville News Sentinel

George Korda, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee 7:06 a.m. ET March 7, 2017

The Hill and Ayres Hall, University of Tennessee. (University of Tennessee)(Photo: UT Photo)

In light of Tennessee General Assemblys discussions about the University of Tennessees diversity programs - and a legislators wish to establish an Office of Intellectual Diversity to foster conservative speakers and thought on campus - its interesting to note that UT has a microaggressions research laboratory.

The College of Arts & Sciences microaggressions research lab studies, it says, the subtle everyday experiences of discrimination and their impact on mental and physical health outcomes.

Thus, its worth exploring how microaggressions correlate to free speech in the continuing controversy over UTs (presently defunded) Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

For several months toward the end of 2015 UTs diversity office impaled itself on self-inflicted public relations blunders. One was suggesting odd pronouns by which to address people who prefer not to be identified by the gender binary (male or female). Another recommendation was to not hold Christmas parties by that name and that religiously-themed cards potentially breach the campuss inclusion imperative. The legislature stripped $436,000 from the UT budget to defund the office for a year.

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The diversity issue is enough on legislators minds that State Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, offered on March 1 an amendment to this years proposed UT budget calling for $450,000 to fund a UT Office of Intellectual Diversity. The Tennessean newspaper reported it as, a move some senators suggested would encourage more people with conservative views to speak their minds.

Diversity of thought, expression, and civility are components of a look at the microaggressions lab. According to the labs website, its research focus is two-fold: gendered racial microaggressions, and racial microaggressions:

Various searches of the UT site produced no list of specific microaggressions. Therefore, microaggressions as found on the University of Cincinnati website are helpful in considering UT's potential future in this arena. The University of Cincinnati is the school from which new UT Chancellor Beverly Davenport recently arrived after serving as interim president, prior to which she was senior vice president for academic affairs and provost (in fact, her photo is still on the UC Office of Equity & Inclusion website).

What follow is an example of one of 36 racial microaggressions listed on UCs website. It is divided into theme, the actual microaggression, and the negative message supposedly sent by the microaggression.

The University of Tennessee has a research lab specifically studying microaggressions. The new chancellor came from a university that on her watch focused on such subjects. The continuing diversity conversation is driving discussion about UT and freedom of speech.

Given those factors, how do microaggressions as defined by the UT lab relate to UTs civility principles and free speech? Of UTs 10 civility and community principles, two in particular are significant in this discussion:

If microaggressions are uncivil speech or expression, and can be subtle and unintended, how can a student or faculty member possibly know what they can or mustnt say for fear of committing an act of bigotry or other type of incivility? What student comments or questions go unspoken or unasked because of this uncertainty? What faculty comments are, intended or unintended, unacceptable?

Common sense dictates that there are people who, as they turn to ask someone a question or begin to make a statement in class, will stop and ask themselves if they want to endure potentially being labeled as a racists, sexist, etc., for committing a microaggression.

Thats not diversity: its bringing about silence through intimidation, intended or unintended.

Are there insults and statements that are beyond the pale? Certainly. There are indeed people with discriminatory and even hateful attitudes. But is UT really a hotbed of student and faculty injustice? Must students and faculty wonder if their words are being scrutinized at all times for microaggressions and other uncivil behavior?

Thats a subject also worthy of study.

Diversity and inclusion isnt a one-way street. Otherwise, its not diverse, its not inclusion, and it bears little relation to freedom of speech.

(The University of Tennessee Microaggressions Research Laboratory website: https://microagressions.utk.edu).

George Korda is political analyst for WATE-TV, appearing Sundays on Tennessee This Week. He hosts State Your Case from noon 3 p.m. Sundays on WOKI-FM Newstalk 98.7. Korda is a frequent speaker and writer on political and news media subjects. He is president of Korda Communications, a public relations and communications consulting firm.

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