A proposal submitted to the University of Wisconsin recommends “perpetrators of an incident of hate or bias” undergo “evidenced based psychological interventions” that could take the form of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, according to the school’s website.
After campus leftists protested at the school this spring, the university crowdsourced, “ideas for how to systematically elevate […] standards of behavior and conduct across our entire community to ensure that our campus is welcoming and supportive to all.”
More than 100 proposals were submitted and posted to the school’s “Campus Climate” website.
A “two tiered program” outlined in Proposal 16, submitted by an area psychologist, recommended 1) students take a course on bias (including the “emotional impact of oppression”) and 2) students accused of perpetrating hate and bias incidents undergo therapy, described in the proposal as “evidence based psychological evaluations.” The proposal suggests Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a potential prescription for the students identified as hateful and biased. Psychology Today describes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a type of psychotherapy that can be helpful in treating anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders.
The fact that a psychologist would provide it as an example of possible treatments for “perpetrators of bias” is concerning.
If you’ve paid close attention to the rhetoric of campus protestors in recent years, you know that their standards for what constitutes hate and bias typically include simple expressions of conservative beliefs. It’s understandable for universities to be concerned about legitimate acts of hate. Unfortunately, however, anti-bias policies encourage conservative witch hunts and distract from serious racism. It’s disconcerting that a psychologist would recommend students identified by the university undergo actual psychological therapy for “perpetrating bias incidents.”
In fact, a glance at the university’s official “definition of bias and hate” proves that “bias incidents” at UW-Madison could include making jokes about “gender identity.”
Definition of Bias/Hate: Single or multiple acts toward an individual, group, or their property that have a negative impact and that one could reasonably conclude are based upon actual or perceived age, race, color, creed, religion, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital status, spirituality, cultural, socio-economic status, or any combination of these or other related factors. Bias/Hate incidents include, but are not limited to: slurs, degrading language, epithets, graffiti, vandalism, intimidation, symbols, and harassment that are directed toward or affect the targeted individual or team. Incidents of Bias or Hate contribute to a hostile campus environment and can occur even if the act itself is unintentional or delivered as a joke, prank, or having humorous intent.
If the system recommended by the proposal were implemented, students could literally be forced to undergo a psychological evaluation and therapy for joking about socio-economic status, political affiliation, gender expression, and other topics.
Of course, this is just one of 107 proposals submitted by members of the community and the university is not obligated to adopt any part of it at all. But it’s still remarkable and indicative of the times we live in that an actual psychologist is recommending therapy as a remedy for bias incidents.
The school also announced this month it is requiring students to undergo “cultural competency training” on “identity, culture and micro-aggressions.” Clearly, there’s no telling where UW’s radical administration will stop.
Jake Regner, chairman of Young Americans for Freedom at UW-Madison, responded to the new training by telling The New Guard: ” The bottom line is that I highly doubt that this training program is going to help students be ‘culturally competent’ at all. I think that’s a very misleading title designed to get students to buy in to the typical leftist indoctrination.”
The chapter is prepared to attend the so-called “cultural competency” training and has every intention of fighting back should the university attempt to implement any radical proposals.
