THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES: WHEN WELL-INTENDED DEI INITIATIVES REDUCE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Few would disagree that the desire for diversity, as a general principle, is a good thing. When under-representation of sub-groups in the population are recognized, there is merit in consideration of potential obstacles to participation and allocation of time and resources to address. As with any societal initiatives, however, there is a risk of unintended consequences when well-intentioned policy to meet the desires, needs, or freedoms of one group impinge on another. In the past year, the Geological Society of America instituted a new policy of no longer accepting geoscience job postings from religiously-affiliated colleges where a statement of faith is a requirement for employment. The justification is that these schools do not align with new GSA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) guidelines. GSA members who might wish to work at one of these institutions are now told they will have to look for position announcements elsewhere, effectively treating them as second-class citizens within the organization. Ironically, this new policy diminishes inclusion and reduces not only diversity of thought, but has the potential to reduce already-low racial diversity. Religious affiliation is higher among minority populations than among whites. The geosciences are near (or at) the bottom of the list of academic disciplines for minority participation, particularly African Americans. If the geosciences are perceived as being openly discriminatory against religious believers, our ability to recruit and retain minority students will become that much harder, working directly against the purported aims of DEI.