Ivy League universities Harvard and Princeton are getting rid of the "master" title for leaders of student dormitories.
According to The Associated Press, the label "has roots stretching back to the universities of medieval Europe," however these days many say it evokes memories of American slavery.
The "masters" are drawn from university faculty, and oversee social and academic programs, as well as serve as advisors for students assigned to a specific residence, known as a "college."
"We believe that calling them 'head of college' better captures the spirit of their work and their contributions to campus residential life," said Dean Jill Dolan, a Princeton administrator.
Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana recently sent an email to students in early December informing them that the masters had agreed unanimously to change the title,
The Harvard Crimson reported.
"The House Masters have unanimously expressed a desire to change their title," Khurana told faculty members in a prepared statement. "The recommendation to change the title has been a thoughtful one, rooted in a broad effort to ensure that the College’s rhetoric, expectations, and practices around our historically unique roles reflects and serves the 21st century needs of residential student life."
"As someone who is responsible for and co-leads one of the Houses…. I have not felt comfortable personally with the title," Khurana added in an interview.
Commentators,
including those at The Atlantic, said that "Critics quickly mocked the decision as symptomatic of higher education’s obsession these days with being politically correct."
"Dear Lord: now @Harvard has voted that their "House Masters" name must be changed. When will PC nonsense end, already?"
tweeted political analyst and Georgetown professor Ron Christie.
Yale President Peter Salovey has said the university is also considering making similar changes, and that a decision on the issue is expected before the summer.
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