MIT Rolls Back DEI Hiring Policies

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has dropped DEI policies for enforcing ideological litmus tests as hiring requirements.

Applicants have previously been screened according to their personal statement of support for including various identity groups, including ideological identities. See quote from article below:

Applicants were told to write a statement showing that “you care about the inclusion of many forms of identity in academia and in your field,” including race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, age and “ability status.”

Candidates were also informed that “it may be appropriate to acknowledge aspects of your own marginalized identity and/or your own privilege,” but that the focus of the statement should be on what they have done in previous jobs and would do at MIT to advance the DEI agenda.

“Is that an ideological litmus test? I believe it is, especially when you start to see how these statements are used in practice,” Steve McGuire, a fellow at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, wrote on the social-media platform X.

In The News

  • MIT Rolls Back DEI Hiring Policies

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Foreign Governments Intervening in Local Affairs

Foreign governments may pressure their companies to adopt controversial DEI policies that undermine the host country’s cultural values.

Pressure to Conform to Homogenous Values

DEI efforts may create an expectation of uniformity in values, potentially marginalising individuals with differing beliefs. Instead of promoting viewpoint diversity, DEI might impose homogenous values upon employees.

Discrimination against Companies with Different Values by Harming Investability

Rating agencies conflate sustainability with other political causes when evaluating company ESG scores. Companies that do not adopt politically controversial ideologies might suffer in their sustainability ratings.

Contradictory Policies Marginalise the People DEI Originally Intended to Support

When DEI becomes conflated with controversial politics, the result backfires and erases years of progress. True inclusion must recognise definitions of identity groups to protect justice and fairness.

Misplaced Diversity Policies Harms Service Quality, Safety & Justice

When DEI policies supersede the competencies needed in the hiring process, not only does this look patronising, it compromises the work quality of critical services.

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