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Harvard: No Whites, Asians, Men, etc., Need Apply...

The News Blog at the Chronicle of Higher Education reports today that Harvard is establishing a ?Postdoc Program for Underrepresented Groups.?

Harvard University will award 12 new postdoctoral fellowships in chemistry this spring that are particularly aimed at women and members of ethnic minority groups. The fellows will study for a year in Harvard?s department of chemistry and chemical biology, and will have the opportunity to apply for a second year of fellowship money.

The goal of the program is to increase the number of women and minority Ph.D.?s who become professors....

A brief description of the Mary Fieser Postdoctoral Fellowship Program on Harvard?s Chemistry Dept. web site says nothing about racial, ethnic, or gender requirements, except that applicants are required to include a ?a discussion of how the applicant will contribute to academic diversity in CCB? [Chemistry and Chemical Biology] as part of the two page description of research interests and experience.

Assuming that the Chronicle description of the new program is accurate, i.e., that it is ?particularly aimed at women and members of ethnic minority groups? (are Italians and Asians and Jews members of ?ethnic minority groups??), the actual application itself engages is a bit of subterfuge and attempted camouflage:

As an affirmative action employer, we encourage all applicants to voluntarily indicate their gender and ethnicity. Please mark only one ethnicity. Note that supplying this information is completely voluntary; declining to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment. This information is confidential and will be used solely for purposes of permitting Harvard to comply with recordkeeping, reporting and other legal obligations.

How can a program be ?particularly aimed at women and members of ethnic minority groups? and not subject men and those who are not a members of ?ethnic minority groups? to adverse treatment?

Would it not be reasonable to suppose that a program ?particularly aimed at white men,? as part of an explicitly stated attempt to increase the numbers of white men in certain fields, subjected women and blacks and non-white members of ethnic groups to ?adverse treatment??

Full post as published by Discriminations on January 09, 2008 (boomark / email).