University Group Discourages Students and Faculty From Using ‘American’ As a Term

Is the term American actually offensive? Some students and faculty at the University of New Hampshire apparently thought so. A guide that was drafted two years ago at the school has recently come under fire.

In 2013 several advocacy groups came up with the Bias-Free Language Guide, a reference guide discouraging faculty and students from using terms it warns could cause offense, according to Business Insider. The guide seeks to "invite inclusive excellence" at the university, according to it's authors.

Some of the terms listed in this new guide? American. Why?

According to the guide, the problem with using the word "American", is that it "assumes the U.S. is the only country in North and South America." The guide suggests using "U.S. citizen or resident of the U.S." as alternatives. Other terms the guide encouraged students and faculty not use include "Arab", and instead "Western Asian" or "Northern African people," and not using the term "blind person," but rather "visually impaired", or "poor," instead recommending the phrase "person living at or below the poverty line,"

University President Mark Huddleston, who actually appointed some of the advocacy group leaders, says he was unaware of the guide until it was criticized in the media this week. Huddleston said Wednesday that it was not campus policy.

Now, Huddleston has seemingly distanced himself from the guide all together. Huddleston said in a statement

I am troubled by many things in the language guide, especially the suggestion that the use of the term 'American' is misplaced or offensive. The only UNH policy on speech is that it is free and unfettered on our campuses. It is ironic that what was probably a well-meaning effort to be 'sensitive' proves offensive to many people, myself included.