Posted on 12/25/2004 9:34:35 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Traditionally, clashes over academic freedom have pitted politicians or administrators against instructors who wanted to express their opinions and teach as they saw fit. But increasingly, it is students who are invoking academic freedom, claiming biased professors are violating their right to a classroom free from indoctrination.
For example, at the University of North Carolina, three incoming freshmen sued over a reading assignment they said offended their Christian beliefs.
In Colorado and Indiana, a national conservative group publicized student allegations of left-wing bias by professors. Faculty received hate mail and were pictured in mock "wanted" posters; at least one college said teacher received a death threat.
And at Columbia University in New York, a documentary film alleging that teachers intimidate students who support Israel drew the attention of administrators.
The three episodes differ in important ways, but all touch on an issue of growing prominence on college campuses.
In many ways, the trend echoes past campus conflicts - but turns them around. Once, it was liberal campus activists who cited the importance of "diversity" in pressing their agendas for curriculum change. Now, conservatives have adopted much of the same language in calling for a greater openness to their viewpoints.
Similarly, academic freedom guidelines have traditionally been cited to protect left-leaning students from punishment for disagreeing with teachers about such issues as American neutrality before World War II and U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Now, those same guidelines are being invoked by conservative students who support the war in Iraq.
To many professors, there's a new and deeply troubling aspect to this latest chapter in the debate over academic freedom: students trying to dictate what they don't want to be taught.
"Even the most contentious or disaffected of students in the '60s or early '70s never really pressed this kind of issue," said Robert O'Neil, former president of the University of Virginia and now director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression.
Those behind the trend call it an antidote to the overwhelming liberal dominance of university faculties. But many educators, while agreeing students should never feel bullied, worry that they just want to avoid exposure to ideas that challenge their core beliefs - an essential part of education.
Some also fear teachers will shy away from sensitive topics, or fend off criticism by "balancing" their syllabuses with opposing viewpoints, even if they represent inferior scholarship.
"Faculty retrench. They are less willing to discuss contemporary problems and I think everyone loses out," said Joe Losco, a professor of political science at Ball State University in Indiana who has supported two colleagues targeted for alleged bias. "It puts a chill in the air."
Conservatives say a chill is in order.
A recent study by Santa Clara University researcher Daniel Klein estimated that among social science and humanities faculty members nationwide, Democrats outnumber Republicans by at least seven to one; in some fields it's as high as 30 to one. And in the last election, the two employers whose workers contributed the most to Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign were the University of California system and Harvard University.
Many teachers insist personal politics don't affect teaching. But in a recent survey of students at 50 top schools by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a group that has argued there is too little intellectual diversity on campuses, 49 percent reported at least some professors frequently commented on politics in class even if it was outside the subject matter.
Thirty-one percent said they felt there were some courses in which they needed to agree with a professor's political or social views to get a good grade.
Leading the movement is the group Students for Academic Freedom, with chapters on 135 campuses and close ties to David Horowitz, a one-time liberal campus activist turned conservative commentator. The group posts student complaints on its Web site about alleged episodes of grading bias and unbalanced, anti-American propaganda by professors - often in classes, such as literature, in which it's off-topic.
Instructors "need to make students aware of the spectrum of scholarly opinion," Horowitz said. "You can't get a good education if you're only getting half the story."
Conservatives claim they are discouraged from expressing their views in class, and are even blackballed from graduate school slots and jobs.
"I feel like (faculty) are so disconnected from students that they do these things and they can just get away with them," said Kris Wampler, who recently publicly identified himself as one of the students who sued the University of North Carolina. Now a junior, he objected when all incoming students were assigned to read a book about the Quran before they got to campus.
"A lot of students feel like they're being discriminated against," he said.
So far, his and other efforts are having mixed results. At UNC, the students lost their legal case, but the university no longer uses the word "required" in describing the reading program for incoming students (the plaintiffs' main objection).
In Colorado, conservatives withdrew a legislative proposal for an "academic bill of rights" backed by Horowitz, but only after state universities agreed to adopt its principles.
At Ball State, the school's provost sided with Professor George Wolfe after a student published complaints about Wolfe's peace studies course, but the episode has attracted local attention. Horowitz and backers of the academic bill of rights plan to introduce it in the Indiana legislature - as well as in up to 20 other states.
At Columbia, anguished debate followed the screening of a film by an advocacy group called The David Project that alleges some faculty violate students' rights by using the classroom as a platform for anti-Israeli political propaganda (one Israeli student claims a professor taunted him by asking, "How many Palestinians did you kill?"). Administrators responded this month by setting up a new committee to investigate students complaints.
In the wider debate, both sides cite the guidelines on academic freedom first set out in 1915 by the American Association of University Professors.
The objecting students emphasize the portion calling on teachers to "set forth justly ... the divergent opinions of other investigators." But many teachers note the guidelines also say instructors need not "hide (their) own opinions under a mountain of equivocal verbiage," and that their job is teaching students "to think for themselves."
Horowitz believes the AAUP, which opposes his bill of rights, and liberals in general are now the establishment and have abandoned their commitment to real diversity and student rights.
But critics say Horowitz is pushing a political agenda, not an academic one.
"It's often phrased in the language of academic freedom. That's what's so strange about it," said Ellen Schrecker, a Yeshiva University historian who has written about academic freedom during the McCarthy area. "What they're saying is, 'We want people to reflect our point of view.'"
Horowitz's critics also insist his campaign is getting more attention than it deserves, riling conservative bloggers but attracting little alarm from most students. They insist even most liberal professors give fair grades to conservative students who work hard and support their arguments.
Often, the facts of particular cases are disputed. At Ball State, senior Brett Mock published a detailed account accusing Wolfe of anti-Americanism in a peace studies class and of refusing to tolerate the view that the U.S. invasion of Iraq might have been justified. In a telephone interview, Wolfe vigorously disputed Mock's allegations. He provided copies of a letter of support from other students in the class, and from the provost saying she had found nothing wrong with the course.
Horowitz, who has also criticized Ball State's program, had little sympathy when asked if Wolfe deserved to get hate e-mails from strangers.
"These people are such sissies," he said. "I get hate mail every single day. What can I do about it? It's called the Internet."
Or, does this priviledge extend to Christians only?
Yes!
ping
I believe you're thinking of Candide. I read that in 10th grade. It's a good book, as far as books go.
My late father was in college right before WWII and the instructors were spouting leftists views than.
I believe he stood up to them.
Case in point: a left wing coworker of mine wrote a paper claiming why President Bush would win the 2k4 election. His claim was heavily backed by facts. As a result, he got an A on his paper.
Sorry but have to differ with you here. Life forms do not change over time and the fosil record shows that. This is a fact. Species appear in the fossil record fully formed and without any transitional species behind them. This true of man as well as other species. This is why the Darwin theory has had to be revised at least twice, trying to explain the lack of evidence in the fossil record. Instant mutation is the latest and greatest theory, and it is called puntuated equilibrium, also known as the Hopeful Monster Theory. Read a little more and keep an open mind. These are the things that should be taught. The truth about the fossil record, not so much ID, but the fact the evolution is not a fact, at least not yet.
And then there were the black mitiants who brought their GUNS on campus to demand an academic environment more to their liking, including more "black studies"
You and I, in good conscious could argue this point for years. However, presenting a differing point, with supporting evidence on each side is part of the 'Scientific Method'; and as such is still a good exercise, regardless of our particular beliefs.
Presenting only one theory (whether Creationism, or Darwinism) does not foster exploration into scientic thought. And, teaching adults is what college is all about. Essentially, the college degree shows that the person has demonstrated the discipline to 'learn to learn' just about any subject matter.
Using the court system to restrict differing points of view are contrary to any educational process.
The situation varies from school to school. At my kid's school there is a good block of conservative faculty that gives a bit of balance. But it is still pretty bad. I think all of us conservatives need to support Horowitz. There is some terrible abuse of the system by liberals, and Horowitz and co. are just trying to set up minimal fairness. Realize that at many of the colleges--in many classrooms--it is pure propaganda, and conservative papers and presentations automatically get lower grades.
Wasn't it at one of the Ivy League schools (Brown or Cornell) that the Pres. of the University was held at gunpoint by people demanding a "black studies" program??
PS I think you meant to type militants, not mitiants.
...oh, and Merry Christmas.
The very idea of a "peace studies" course is ridiculous. The title itself suggests there is an "attitude" behind the curriculum, rather than intelligent investigation.
Otherwise, would not such a course be labelled a "History" course?
Outside of propaganda and dialectics, I suspect that Prof. Wolfe has little interest in "teaching".
Couldn't creationism teaching be considered as presenting another side to those who have never heard it before also?
Absolutely he's lying. Remember ROTC buildings being firebombed? ROTC being banned from campus? Sit-in protests? Taking over administration buildings? It's the same lying revisionist history they've always pushed.
You sound like one of these ACLU types who sues for the right of the Nazis to march in Skokie, on free-speech grounds, and then turns around to remove Christian plaques or displays which have been around for decades, because one or two athiests are "offended", all on the grounds of a mythological "separation of Church and State" not mentioned in the Consitution. It's funny how their standards change according to whether Judaism/Christianity is being promoted, or not.
Hint: Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, and wasn't at the Constitutional Convention.
If you are actually concerned about promoting freedom of conscience in religious matters, why don't you look into systematic rape, murder, and human slavery practiced in the Sudan? I haven't noticed many Christians lately webcasting videos of Muslims or Falun Gong adherents having their heads sawn off with a dull knife, while chanting "Merry Christmas! We celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace!" lately, either.
You "open-minded" types would have a lot more credibility if you were being martyred by Communists and Muslims, like the Christians and Jews are, instead of just jacking off in public in friendly, left-wing settings like the Universities.
Merry Christmas, Troll.
And a proactive Happy Easter!
My, my, my ... all this nastiness from a Christian on Christmas. For shame, perhaps instead of reading into a post things that are NOT there, you should read the post for exactly what words are chosen. I said exactly what I said, not mentioning Jefferson, the Declaration of Independance, Islam, systemmatic rape and the whole 'Christmasie bag of good cheer you brought to the party'.
My point is, and remains that lawsuits to PREVENT a topic from being discussed is the anti-thesis to learning. No one has the 'right' to forbid a entire class from discussing a aspect of the class, simply because it offends his moral compass; my response is to either withdraw from the class, or actually take the time to read the material. The college courses do not require your belief, only your understanding. I do not have to agree with Renold's rules regarding electo-magnetics, I don't have to believe in them at all, but one must understand them. That is called learning. I can learn about Islam, without being a Muslum; much as you can learn about Christianity without understanding the basic precepts.
You see, I attended and graduated from college. Judging from your spew of hate and sewage, you did not.
I have little use for the ALCU, Nazi's and marches into Jewish areas. Where you connected the aspect of 'learning' and Nazi-war crimes is beyond me. Perhaps you have a few issues you need to work out.
Merry Christmas, and do try to be a little civil. It's hard to debate with a rude lunatic.
Very nicely put.
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