On Facebook one parent complained about the resolution, commenting: 'Are you really getting rid of terminology such as freshman and sophomore? because I have a child at the main campus and I am at my wits end with this stupidity.'Īnother Facebook commenter was even harsher, commenting: 'Your woke agenda is both sad and really pathetic and you represent what's wrong with this generation. The announcement drew mixed criticism from people online, with some calling the move the schools attempt to be 'woke.' The changes for gendered terms would apply to all written materials, including both internal and outward-facing documents, Fox News reported. The bill was one of several equity and diversity resolutions to pass at the Senate's April 27 meeting, Penn State News reported. The phrase 'upperclassmen' was condemned for being 'both sexist and classist,' while the new rules also lashed Penn's existing documentation for many appearances by he/she pronouns.' They said the axed terms were examples of 'male-centric' terminology that needed to be updated with more inclusive words.Īmong the concerns raised by the committee were that 'freshmen' were too male-specific, with 'junior' and 'senior' axed for being 'parallel to western male father-son naming conventions.' Last month, the University's Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs passed the 'Removal of Gendered & Binary Terms from Course and Program Descriptions' resolution with a majority vote. Pennsylvania State University has been mocked after axing the words 'freshman,' 'junior' and 'senior' - as well as the phrase 'him or her' over fears they're sexist.