As a grad student and post doc, reading academic job ads ending with the phrase “Minorities and women are especially encouraged to apply” was always discouraging. How could they get away with such blatantly discriminatory language? That’s the question Roger Clegg addresses in a fascinating post over at Phi Beta Cons. The bad news is that an academic association courageous enough to reject such ads has been forced to capitulate. The good news is that the administration has issued a letter questioning the use of such language and suggesting a workable alternative. My question for Roger is: will the administration’s letter make any difference at this point?