Posted on 07/10/2006 5:01:18 PM PDT by Alouette
Following a thorough review, University of Wisconsin-Madison Provost Patrick Farrell today announced that lecturer Kevin Barrett will teach, as scheduled, a class titled "Islam: Religion and Culture."
Barrett's remarks regarding his theories on the events of Sept. 11 recently drew widespread attention and criticism.
As a result, Farrell, along with Gary Sandefur, dean of the College of Letters and Science, and Ellen Rafferty, chair of the department of languages and cultures of Asia, met with Barrett. They reviewed his course syllabus and reading materials and examined his past teaching evaluations.
"There is no question that Mr. Barrett holds personal opinions that many people find unconventional," Farrell says. "These views are expected to take a small, but significant, role in the class. To the extent that his views are discussed, Mr. Barrett has assured me that students will be free - and encouraged - to challenge his viewpoint."
Farrell says that Barrett told him that the semester-long course will spend a week examining current issues, including a brief discussion of various views on the war on terror. Barrett told Farrell that he plans to base the discussion on readings from authors representing a variety of viewpoints.
"I am satisfied that Mr. Barrett appreciates his responsibility as an instructor. I also believe that he will attempt to provide students with a classroom experience that respects and welcomes open dialogue on all topics," Farrell says. "And I fully expect that the vast majority of his teaching will involve aspects of Islamic culture and religion wholly unrelated to his controversial views of the events of 9/11, which we know had a profound impact on the world and many members of our campus community."
Farrell notes that a broader issue at play in the Barrett case is the UW-Madison's long tradition of protecting classroom expression and encouraging students' critical thinking by allowing analysis of even the most controversial ideas.
"We cannot allow political pressure from critics of unpopular ideas to inhibit the free exchange of ideas. That classroom interaction is central to this university's mission and to the expansion of knowledge. Silencing that exchange now would only open the door to more onerous and sweeping restrictions," he says.
"It is in cases like this - difficult cases involving unconventional ideas - that we define our principles and determine our future," Farrell adds. "Instead of restricting politically unpopular speech, we will take our cue from the bronze plaque in front of Bascom Hall that calls for the 'continual and fearless sifting and winnowing' of ideas."
UW-Madison students, Farrell says, are fully capable of analyzing new, controversial and even unwelcome ideas.
"Our students are not blank slates. They are capable of exercising good judgment, critical analysis and speaking their minds," Farrell says. "Instructors do not hand over knowledge wrapped up in neat packages. Knowledge grows from challenging ideas in a setting that encourages dialogue and disagreement. That's what builds the kind of sophisticated, critical thinking we expect from our graduates."
Campus officials also reviewed Barrett's teaching record at UW-Madison.
"Although the university does not endorse Mr. Barrett's political views or his theories regarding the events of 9/11, our review showed that he has a record of quality teaching, including as a teaching assistant in this class," Farrell says. "His plan for the course appears to offer a sound learning experience for students interested in gaining a better understanding of Islam."
Barrett has accepted a one-semester appointment as an associate lecturer, beginning on Aug. 28. This is a 50 percent appointment that has a salary of $8,247.
enjoy
He went on to say, "Which is why the Young Republican's afirmative action bake sale MUST BE STOPPED!!"
Thanks. I was just about to post the same article from "Das Kapital Times."
Pinging the Usual Suspects...
Yep. A certifiable NUT shaping young minds. But...Socialist Utopias are all the same. Look how long Ward Churchill got away with this type of stuff? Our University System is full of them...and I'm thinking more will be seeing the light of day in the coming months.
Another Red Flag as to why conservative parents need to think long and hard about wasting their tuition dollars at UW Madistan. We've been telling our son that we REFUSE to fund a college education for him at UWM. He's opted for Tech College which will actually teach him a trade without the 'Communist Manifesto Homework Caseload.' *Rolleyes*
Publik Skrool was bad enough! The "De-Programming Sessions" over dinner and homework were often quite intense. ;)
Why of course. That's what islam is all about. If that doesn't work, someone can kill the students.
From a Muslim perspective, it hardly seems worthwhile to engage in dialogue with non-Muslims who believe that 9/11 was an act of "Islamic terrorism." Either we discuss the compelling evidence that 9/11 was an inside job, or there is precious little to talk about.
Sure sounds like he "will attempt to provide students with a classroom experience that respects and welcomes open dialogue on all topics," doesn't it?
Anyone up for a protest outside of Bascom???
No, that's ITHACA.
Madison is Berzerkley Central.
Sure.
OTOH, and no offense to all the current (and former) UW students--but in a way, kinda glad I didn't choose Madistan this year. Probably would have jacked up my bp by 40 points and an aneurism (sp?)...
Rather, xfering to UWM in the fall...8^)
Idiots.
We have gone from Academic Excellence, to Academic Freedom, to "The Closing of the American Mind", to the "Losing of the American Mind". Degeneration in 3 generations. ...
"There is no question that Mr. Barrett holds personal opinions that many people find unconventional," Farrell says. "These views are expected to take a small, but significant, role in the class. To the extent that his views are discussed, Mr. Barrett has assured me that students will be free - and encouraged - to challenge his viewpoint."
... there is no question that such intelligence could be applied to rationalizing the selling of botulism-infected meat, with a flippant "but they need not eat it" addendum. Yet that doesn't make it any less poison!
note the hype-non-judgemental "views that some find unconventional". There is a place out there that explains how the University is set to favor totalitarian thinking, and this mindlessness is a part of the philosophical nihilism that leads to it. If no ideas can be judged, then no ideas are better than other ideas. If no ideas are better than others, than a sort of intellectual Grisham's Law sets in, and bad ideas chase out good ideas in the debasement of the intellectual climate.
And so it goes.
Madison="Chock full a nuts".
Unfortunately University of Wisconsin-Madison Provost Patrick Farrell can’t say the same about himself as he hires the abominable Mr. Barrett.
A growing list of ex-administration officials, historians, philosophers, politicians and others have been calling attention to the overwhelming evidence that 9/11 was an inside job--that the US Air Force stood down, the Twin Towers and WTC-7 were destroyed in controlled demolitions, the "hijackers" (who are not even Muslim, much less extremists) are still alive, the story of the Pentagon strike is ludicrous, flight 93 was shot down and the "heroic passengers say let's roll" story is a myth, many FBI agents had specific foreknowledge of the date and target of the attacks months in advance, the alleged Commander-in-Chief was left in a pre-announced location for more than an hour during an alleged surprise attack while thousands of potentially hijacked planes were still in the skies...the list of prima facie smoking guns is too long to list here, and not one of them has yet been refuted by anyone, least of all the 9/11 Coverup Commission led by neocon Bush associate Philip Zelikow. (For an irrefutable debunking of the 9/11 Commission Report, see David Griffin's The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions.)
And its just one sentence.
Ping! Think this is the guy you were talking about.
From a Muslim perspective, it hardly seems worthwhile to engage in dialog with non-Muslims who believe that 9/11 was an act of "Islamic terrorism." Either we discuss the compelling evidence that 9/11 was an inside job, or there is precious little to talk about.
I can hear all the open debate in his class now: "Well, do you think Bush did it or Cheney?
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