Graduates allege that UCSD physics education is rooted in white power

Graduates in physics from University of California, San Diego, claim that the physics education is rooted in white power. They submitted a list of demands that calls for mandatory unconscious bias training and diversity oversight of faculty meetings, hiring, and tenure.

"Higher education is founded on platforms designed to oppress Black Americans and promote and maintain white power and privilege," the open letter begins.

The UCSD physics graduates accuse the Department of failing to "actively combat anti-blackness" within its institution "thus perpetuating racist ideals," "violence," and "systemic bias."

They continue to assert that this same racism that is present in the UCSD graduate physics department led to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis this past May, among "countless others" listed.

Arguing that they stand with the black community and are "disgraced at the lack of response" from the Department, the graduates stated:

"It is our moral duty to speak out on the severe lack of Black scholars in all career levels of our department, and as physicists in positions of power within the institution, it is our responsibility to change the anti-black culture and unequal system currently in place."

The graduates went on to echo the list of demands devised by the Black Student Union on campus "to establish a climate of equality."

Under "transparency and accountability changes," the coalition asks for the faculty hiring process to include a group interview with the physics committee on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Diversity should also be weighed in deciding whether or not to grant tenure, the organisation asserts.

A peer-reported system of anonymous "marginalizing comments" should be used when considering promotional opportunities, advancement, and even graduation for students and staff, the list continued, detailing "[a] record for each individual... kept of all complaints."

The graduates went on to advise the creation of an independent diversity web page to clearly outline the Department's strategy to "combat specific inequalities," such as race, sex, gender, disability, and their intersections.

They demanded that an outreach portal should also be dedicated to "underrepresented" minorities in STEM. All faculty must either participate in these outreach programs or recruit black undergraduates for research projects in their labs, the graduates ordered.

Under "systemic changes," the physics Graduate Record Examinations should be removed as a perpetuating "unequal barrier to admissions," according to the grads. However, EDI-approved graduate and undergraduate courses focused entirely on inequality in physics and methods for change should be required.

Under "cultural changes," graduate students need to question faculty mentality towards EDI prior to joining a lab. Political disagreement will warrant a report in the marginalizing commentary system.

Mandatory EDI education should be held in a monthly or quarterly lab meeting for all department members "to embody the anti-racist mindset."

The letter concluded by citing a groundbreaking report by the American Physical Society that shockingly found that "African American undergraduates have the same drive, motivation, intellect, and capability" to obtain physics and astronomy degrees as any other student.

"As a department, we fail to recruit these brilliant minds and so we suffer in academic excellence," the graduates commented. "It is clear that the best version of our department and the Physics community is one of diversity and equality."

"In solidarity," the UCSD physics graduates signed off.