The Subtle Form of Discrimination or Fair Management Judgement (How Would You Interpret It? Community College Example)

The Importance of 
Quality Education
to Our Young

There is overt and subversive types of discrimination of which the later is the most dangerous. Because its not direct it is hard to address and has far reaching consequences for the full development of communities and society. Subtle forms of discrimination can be very hard to put your finger on because candidates can be rejected for any reasons or no reason at all. To determine whether its an accurate reason, a reasonable reason, or a discriminatory reason are elusive without accurate information. We continue to discuss and debate these issues in a nation that is now diverse and our long term survival of our republic depends on solutions that bind us together. 

Let me give you an example of how this might work at community college. Based on the job description you are a qualified candidate that exceeds the requirements of the position by education, skill, academic/professional experience. No response on a number of applications to various prior adjunct positions but as a stand alone factor it isn't of much concern. In and of itself means nothing because sometimes more qualified candidates are found and that would make sense.

You apply for an adjunct position and someone from HR gets back to you right away because they have a desperate need. The HR representative looked at your resume and thought you would be a good match as he/she explains that you are more than qualified. You agree to fill out the application and submit by the next day and in turn spend an hour or two getting it done to fulfill the hurried request.

There is one caveat. You don't have your references because you haven't applied for an adjunct position in a while. The system won't let you put the application in until you have a reference. You put a place holder reference in and get back to the HR representative and let them know you completed the application but didn't put the references in but if they need them you will get them. 

Indicates Global Societies
Need Leaders of Capable of Understanding
to Create Intellectual Capital
and Financial Success. That will be hard skill to develop
 if we don't expose students
global cultures and practices.
Diversity Intelligence

You come up with a few good names of people have worked with and reach out to the HR representative again about the references (Actually you can exceed their reference requirements because you have been in the field for a while and have not only received high evaluations but have a history of positive working relationships.). Nothing! No response! You send an email to the HR director inquiring if there is still a need. Nothing! Dead silence!

You make the assumption that they don't need you and promise yourself that you will apply to the next adjunct position and have the references ready to put in the application (Regardless of if they tell you to get your application in quickly or not.). At the time you thought you were doing them a favor (I guess yourself as well) and were doing what they needed and requested. Sometimes wires get crosses so your open to alternative explanations but the lack of response is concerning.

A red flag is sort of raised by the incident. Is it because you did something wrong, your not qualified, small town rumors, discrimination or something else? You really don't know...but its an odd situation. So the best thing you can do is sort of keep your eye out for new adjunct spots and "chalk it up" as an unexplained event. However, you scratch head as the concept of "did they really find a more qualified candidate?" and even if they did what is the "ghosting" and rude/unprofessional behavior about (Keeping in mind its not a university town and its isolated so some types of candidates are likely to be in limited supply.)🤔?

That is the problem with subtle forms of discrimination (not saying it is that yet) because like passive aggressive behavior its hard to address appropriately (maybe there is a psychological association between the two. See Passive Aggression-Discrimination and how it impacts not only "others" but also our veterans.) Behaviors could mean something or they could mean nothing (Its highly subjective without factual information.). Your personal and professional judgements believes its not "nothing" but you can't definitively say "its something". You can suspect it is based in bias, you suspect its based the "rumor mill" but you can't really say one way or another (See how this is difficult to say concisely?). 

However, we do know that if ("If" is the term and under what criteria?) such practices are occurring it runs counter to EEOC and Federal Law and limits the type of experiences students have (As based in the mission statement and the needs of tax payers.). Thus, the beliefs and decision of one person(s) impacts the student body by lowering the quality of education and in turn the mission and values of the entire organization (by extension anyone who attends and that in turn represents are large part of the community. Their decision may be limiting the future of youths/students in the area.). Does it really matter? Probably not....not unless we believe its important. 

How you interpret the situation might be dependent on your value system and your background. A far right ideology adherent might say...."Who cares? Do you think someone should just give you the position if you didn't earn it? I'm tired of these people always complaining!" While someone of the far left persuasion might retort, "Our society is inherently discriminatory and its exactly this type of masked biased that creates all the problems! Hiring mangers [companies, colleges, etc...] do what they want with no accountability! It must end!". Someone in the middle might say, "I don't know if its either one way or another. I do know that young adults should be exposed to different types of faculty and if the person exceeds qualifications they should not be rejected without serious consideration." The HR person might dig into their legal training and say, "They didn't put in their references [or other selection criteria] so I reject everyone who doesn't do that regardless of whether they were informing me of their time frame! I can find more justification if needed to support my decisions.".  ....or maybe something else. (I claim to know little here.)

What do you think? Managers discretion or something more? Try and answers it for yourself and your personal learning and solidification of what you believe. Which values should take precedence in our society? These issues will become increasingly important as we deal with the pressures and pushes of two different visions for America (I suspect the more practical vision will win out but you never know.) butting against the pressures of an interconnected global society (They have interests as well in how we turn out as a nation.). 

The goal is to highlight that as a society we are changing and we will struggle with similar issues in towns, companies, higher education and other institutions across the country....but it is these issues that will tie us together or break us apart. The causes and solutions can be amebic and of course can't always see these situations clearly because we are not "flys" on the wall. Despite academics and politicians and the general populace debating such concepts they often do so based on existing values. As a nation we will need to move toward national reconciliation where we compete as a single people with a single overriding vision (This is a team and organizational perspective and not a promotion of any political agenda.). As academics we have a duty to raise such issues for general mental consumption by societal stakeholders (and researchers). "Responsibilities of Doctors".We will someday find a way through the fog and politically dicey issues. See "The Intolerance of Tolerance-Respectful Civic Debate on Campuses". You may also want to read a study on how higher education is globalizing in 'The Development of Global Higher Education in a World of Transformation' and a somewhat dated University of Michigan study ,'Diversity and Higher Education: Theory and Impact on Educational Outcomes'.

Mense, Evan & Lemoine, Pamela & Garretson, Christopher & Richardson, Michael. (2018). The Development of Global Higher Education in a World of Transformation. Journal of Education and Development. 2. 47. 10.20849/jed.v2i3.529. 

Gurin, P., Dey, E., Hurtado, S., & Gurin, G. (2002). Diversity and Higher Education: Theory and Impact on Educational Outcomes. Harvard Educational Review, 72(3), 330-367. http://dx.doi.org/10.17763/haer.72.3.01151786u134n051 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9f77t8j3

Transformation