Bacon's Rebellion

by James A. Bacon

John McLaren is a full professor in the Economics Department of the University of Virginia. He has written dozens of papers and journal articles in his specialty fields of globalization and international trade, and has given keynote speeches in conferences around the world.

He also serves as the departmental Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

McLaren came to the attention of the Jefferson Council when his name turned up in an email chain involving Keisha John, associate dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the College of Arts & Sciences. John had written him and other departmental DEI directors to provide feedback on a survey the College was developing to measure the extent of “belonging” experienced by Arts & Sciences students, faculty and staff. (See “UVA Arts & Sciences to Conduct Climate Survey.”)

By itself, the request was not especially onerous. John asked McLaren to “take a few minutes” to complete a brief online survey rating the importance of key themes to be considered in the survey. She also urged him to “share broadly” with others in his department. Their responses would guide higher-up DEI officials as they developed the questionnaire for distribution in the fall. But acting as the econ department’s point man on the survey was only a small part of what his DEI responsibilities include.

Why does that interest the Jefferson Council? Because of the ongoing debate about the size and scope of the DEI administration at UVA.

by James A. Bacon

The College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Virginia is undertaking a campus climate survey to gauge the extent to which students, faculty and staff in the college’s many departments feel a sense of “belonging.”

The priority at the moment is choosing among 16 themes to be explored in the questionnaire, with detailed questions to be developed in the next phase. The goal is to have the questionnaire ready by this fall.

In emails obtained by The Jefferson Council, Keisha John, associate dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the College of Arts & Sciences, noted that many departments had conducted their own climate surveys. She was working with the University DEI division and the Center for Survey Research to “ensure consistency and validity of survey instruments.”

“Departments,” she wrote in the email, “will have this as an additional tool as they strive to ensure all constituents — students, staff and faculty — are flourishing.”

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