As recently noted, she will soon become President of Portland State University. At Pittsburgh, she had a rough run. A reader at Pittsburgh also flagged the following for me:
Ann Cudd, philosopher, University of Pittsburgh provost, and soon-to-be president of Portland State University, responded publicly today to demands to cancel campus events featuring controversial speakers. The decision, for now, is the right one, and Provost Cudd seems to grasp the correct rationale for it. But the statement quickly veers into a familiar sort of DEI homily. Provost Cudd openly advertises her political views and implies that the university itself condemns the speech in question (at one point suggesting it represents a "misunderstanding"). The statement culminates in the following fervent pronouncement:
“One fact is unshakable and unchangeable: Before, during, and after these events, our touchstones—the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion—will continue to not only persist and sustain us but will gain even more strength."
Now Pitt's mission statement doesn't so much as mention these so-called touchstones. That aside, I was struck by the religious quality of the statement. I did time at a conservative, religious-affiliated university. To my ear, the grandiose, moralizing tone is unmistakable. I hope that Provost Cudd, and whoever follows her at Pitt, will continue to uphold free expression on campus. This kind of official sermonizing, which in effect raises the stakes for students who oppose the DEI line, does not inspire confidence.
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