UC-Berkeley is launching a new mentorship program this October aimed at embedding racial equity practices into faculty teaching. The initiative, part of a broader push for DEI compliance in higher education, offers financial incentives and recognition for professors who commit to yearlong participation. Critics argue the program rewards ideological conformity and prioritizes activism over academic rigor.
The program, called Provost’s Thriving in Teaching: A Mentorship Program for Racial Equity in Teaching, is open to Senate faculty across disciplines and will run through May 2026. Participation is limited to 14 professors who will be grouped in peer cohorts based on similar roles and “lived experiences.” According to the university’s Center for Teaching and Learning, the program seeks to create “arts-based and community-centered” methods of instruction centered on race and identity.
Participants are expected to attend 12 meetings throughout the academic year, engage in reflective teaching exercises, complete a peer observation cycle, and compile a racial equity teaching portfolio. In return, each faculty member will receive a $5,000 “course improvement grant” and a formal recognition letter from the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost to be included in future merit reviews.
The university states the goal is to develop observable racial equity teaching practices and foster an environment of collaborative feedback. The program also calls for each participant to contribute to racial equity teaching resources and share peer-reviewed assessments based on classroom performance.
Applications are due by Friday, September 19, 2025, with decisions announced later that month. The program is funded and managed through the university’s DEI apparatus and is framed as a solution to systemic inequities in the classroom. It explicitly emphasizes storytelling, somatic practices, and social-emotional learning—approaches rooted in progressive pedagogical theory.
This move reflects a growing trend in public universities where faculty advancement is increasingly tied to alignment with diversity initiatives. Critics warn that ideological mentoring programs risk marginalizing dissenting viewpoints and diverting resources away from academic excellence. Others raise concerns about the fairness of merit evaluations when tied to participation in politically motivated programming.
At a time when higher education continues to face scrutiny over bias, religious freedom, and viewpoint discrimination, programs like UC-Berkeley’s mentorship effort raise important questions about the line between professional development and ideological enforcement.
