Binghamton University recently forced a professor to remove a section of her syllabus that said priority would be given to “non-white folks” to speak during classroom discussions after finding the policy violated the university‘s faculty staff handbook.
Ana Maria Candela wrote in her “Social Change- Introduction to Sociology” syllabus that she planned to practice “progressive stacking” during class discussions at the New York state school, according to Campus Reform.
“This means that we try to give priority to non-white folks, to women, and to shy and quiet people who rarely raise their hands,” she wrote.
“It also means that if you are white, male, or someone privileged by the racial and gender structures of our society to have your voice easily voiced and heard, we will often ask you to hold off on your questions or comments to give others priority and will come back to you a bit later or at another time,” the syllabus added.
Candela writes that her experience with the policy is that “within little time, those who feel most privileged to speak begin to take the initiative to hold space for others who feel less comfortable speaking first, while those who tend to be more silenced in our society grow more comfortable speaking.”
“As you can imagine, it has tremendous benefits for our society as a whole when we learn to hold space and listen to others whose voices are typically disregarded and silenced,” the syllabus adds.
Meanwhile, Candela also quotes the brutal Chinese dictator Mao Zedong in the syllabus, saying in the class discussion guidelines section of the syllabus that Mao is “famous for having once said, ‘No investigation, no right to speak.'”
The syllabus says the quote by the communist Chinese dictator whose regime killed 45 million people is a “bit harsh” but “helps to convey the idea that speaking, during class discussions, should be based on having done your investigative work.” The syllabus adds that students should complete class readings and discuss them in an “insightful and informed way.”
Candela’s research focuses on “Chinese migrations to Latin America and on the global dimensions of Chinese history and China’s social transformations,” according to the university’s website.
A spokesperson for the university told Fox News that the “progressive stacking” policy is in violation of Binghamton University’s faculty staff handbook.
“The Faculty Staff Handbook outlines principles of effective teaching, which include valuing and encouraging student feedback, encouraging appropriate faculty-student interaction, and respecting the diverse talents and learning styles of students,” the spokesperson told Fox News.
The spokesperson said the syllabus statement “clearly violates those principles” and said the policy has been removed from the syllabus.
“Binghamton University faculty seek to engage all students in their classes in active participation, including those who are shy or lack self-confidence,” the spokesperson said.