University of Utah spends $400K on Dignity Index to rate political speech
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The University of Utah has launched a program called the “Dignity Index” that rates on an eight-point scale how statements sound during political or social disagreement.
Officially announced in October accordingly The Index, reported in the Daily Utah Chronicle, is expected to cost $400,000 each year for equipment as well as program staff.
Accordingly According to the University of Utah, the Index is “an eight-point scale that measures how people talk to each other when they disagree, ranging from ONE, which shows complete disdain for the other party, to EIGHT, which shows respect for everyone no matter what.”
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University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Getty Images)
Tami Pyfer, chief external affairs officer and co-creator of the Dignity Index, said on a university page that the program “launched as a pilot to determine the validity of the Dignity Index and has grown into an initiative with touchpoints in 25 states.”
The partnership between the University of Utah and Project UNITE, a nonprofit organization that created the Pride Index, first began in 2022, when the University of Utah used the Index “to use the Pride Index to score political speeches in Utah’s congressional midterm elections.”
A “youth edition” Honor Index He talks about “developing skills for dignified disagreement” and also scores the conversation on an eight-point scale; one point, “We should hurt these people; they deserve it,” four points, “We are better than these people; they don’t really belong,” and eight points, “Each of us is valuable and irreplaceable, so we must treat each other with dignity no matter what.”
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The University of Utah has launched a program called the “Dignity Index” that rates on an eight-point scale how statements sound during political or social disagreement. (Javi Sanz/Getty Images)
According to Meghan Monroe, senior program associate for K-12 Education at Project UNITE, which created the Dignity Index, the youth edition of the Dignity Index “can be applied to programs and practices already in place in schools, such as Active Listening and Empathy, which encourage open dialogue where everyone—educators, students, and parents—feel heard and affirm the dignity of each individual.”
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The Index, which was “officially announced” in October, is expected to cost the university $400,000 each year for staff and equipment for the program, according to The Daily Utah Chronicle. (Ozan Köse/AFP via Getty Images)
It can also be used in “Restorative Practices, which help rebuild relationships and address conflicts with dignity, compassion and understanding, and Inclusive Resources, which recognize the diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds that students bring to school,” he said.
Natalie Gochnour, director of the University of Utah’s Gardner Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital that the university “puts dignity first.” As stated in our core values, ‘We care deeply about our students, our patients, our community, and the world, and we recognize the inherent dignity of all people.’ “Along with dignity, we simultaneously affirm the fundamental value of freedom of expression and the pursuit of truth as fundamental and indisputable rights on campus and in society.”
“Together, these three ideals—the inherent worth of all human beings, the pursuit of truth, and the right to express views and ideas—create an environment in which conversation will thrive and society will thrive,” Gochnour added.
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“We often conflate these ideals because often contempt—the opposite of dignity—suppresses conversation and learning. When people experience contempt, they often self-censor or, worse, respond with even more contempt,” Gochnour said. “Communication falters when people self-censor or fall into a spiral of contempt. People eventually stop talking, listening, and learning. Without communication, problems get worse; civil society suffers. There is a better way, and the University of Utah is ready to lead it. The Dignity Initiative is a privately funded effort at the University of Utah to reduce contempt and inspire free expression. In partnership with UNITE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, it produces research on honors scholarships.” “sharing insights into their practices and pioneering a tool known as the Dignity Index to measure how we treat each other when we disagree.”
Gochnour also said participation was “entirely voluntary.”
