Professor candidates' 'woke score' — how actively they've promoted equity, diversity, inclusion — proposed as hiring criteria at Oxford University: Report

Oxford University in England — arguably the world's most prestigious institution of higher learning — is proposing that professor candidates must show they've actively promoted equity, diversity, and inclusion as a condition of obtaining appointments, Fox News said, citing a report in the Telegraph.

What are the details?

The proposal was dreamed up by the college's race equality task force, which said it was "important to embed EDI" — which stands for equality, diversity, and inclusion – into "all recruitment," the paper said, according to Fox News.

The document — which looks to tackle "racial inequalities among staff" — states that "good citizenship and/or commitment to EDI work" should be an "essential criteria" for applicants, the cable network said, citing the Telegraph.

What did one Oxford prof have to say?

"If we are supposed to pay attention to their EDI — their woke score — does this mean it doesn't matter if they are useless at teaching and research?" one unnamed Oxford professor asked the paper, according to Fox News. "Or do you now have to get a minimum woke score to get a job?"

The professor revealed to the Telegraph that one of the questions for a potential new hire is, "Can you give me examples on how you have called out these kinds of issues in your previous appointment?" the cable network said.

"So you are being interviewed for a job in alchemy, yet you have to go out [of] your way to show you have tried to virtue signal," the professor continued to the paper, according to Fox News. "To an old codger like me it just seems crazy. Do you mark someone down because they haven’t jumped on the woke bandwagon?"

What did Oxford have to say?

Oxford said the document was not yet set in stone, the Daily Mail reported.

"The race equality task force was established to advance racial equity across the collegiate university," an Oxford spokesman told the Telegraph, according to Fox News. "After reviewing staff and student responses, we will agree [to] a detailed strategy by the end of the academic year."

Students and staff have been asked to submit their responses to the proposal by Wednesday, the paper said, according to the cable network, after which the final draft will be submitted to Oxford’s governing body for approval.

Not the first woke moment for Oxford

The school has been compiling quite a number of contributions to woke culture over the last few years:

• In June 2020, Oxford said students suffering from "the traumatic effect of the brutality which killed George Floyd" in the United States could apply for special consideration in regard to their exams.
• Earlier in 2020, Oxford's Classics faculty proposed removing Homer's "Iliad" and Virgil's "Aeneid" from the early stages of study in order to close "attainment gaps" among students.
• Merton College at Oxford was criticized in early 2020 for planning a discussion about transgender issues while banning dissenting views from being spoken during the event.
• Oxford's student council passed a motion in October 2019 to mandate the use of "silent jazz hands" instead of traditional clapping at council meetings in order to boost "inclusivity" and reduce "anxiety."
• In the summer of 2017, the prestigious college added 15 minutes to math and computer science exam times to give women a chance at higher grades.