Gretchen's take: The problem with being too PC
University avoiding gendered salutations 'over the top'?
You know when even professors at the City University of New York are questioning the new policy -- of not referring to students anymore with salutations like "Mr." or "Ms." -- that the policy may be over the top. The provost at the university says the new policy is part of the graduate center's "ongoing effort to ensure a respectful welcoming and gender-inclusive learning environment".
I understand that the policy is supposed to show sensitivity to students who identify as transgender. But that's a miniscule percent of the population. The latest estimate is around point-3 percent here in the US. And could there be other negative effects in changing the language policies?
Turns out another professor had a great point. That in some parts of the world, using someone's first name is insulting and not acceptable. So now if the university is calling students by their first and last name instead of Mr. And Ms. Will they offend an even greater percentage of the students? In my mind, this is exactly the problem with being too p-c.
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