06.12.07
Posted in Bias at 9:06 pm by Matthew Bass
This article by Katherine Kersten perfectly illustrates what a struggle it can be to encourage even a small amount of intellectual diversity on a college campus. If students are steeped in course material like this day in and day out, how can they help but pick up the leftist mantra?
Take the Macalester curriculum. What comes to mind when you think of an American Studies Department? At Macalester, its overwhelming focus is on race, gender and ethnic minorities. For example, you can take a course like “Black Queer Positionality: Narration, Negotiation, Identity,” which aims to “more fully understand and articulate a black queer ‘theory in the flesh.’ ”
…
“Macalester talks a good game of diversity,” said Joseph Schultz, who graduated in 2006 and is a leader of the group. “But they don’t have the kind that really counts: intellectual diversity.”
Read the full article.
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09.05.06
Posted in General, Bias at 11:00 pm by Matthew Bass
Well, no, not necessarily. But what Walter Williams is arguing in this column is that many professors are against those who are anti-Communist. As Walter writes:
Leftist elites love the ideas of communism so much that they are either blind to, or tolerant of, its many shortcomings.
I certainly witnessed a small portion of this intolerance during my time in community college. I’m not saying that all professors are this way, but for those who are, academia suits them perfectly. Once tenured, they don’t have to compete with anyone or even produce anything. They have a captive audience of students whom they are free to influence without accountability.
I found it much easier to avoid the influence of such professors by taking distance education courses. I was able to be more selective in the courses I enrolled in, and the professor-student interaction was much more natural and free. I think this was due in part to the geographic separation between professor and student. It was also due to my separation from the campus environment. I didn’t feel pressure to conform to what other students were thinking, saying, or doing. I wasn’t made to feel “un-cool” if I voiced opposition to a professor’s philosophical viewpoint. And I had my friends and family around to straighten me out if they saw me drifting too far in a certain direction.
Read Walter’s article and consider that, however slim the chance might be, do you really want to risk subjecting yourself (or your son or daughter if you’re a parent) to such an influence just to earn a college degree? Distance education is one of many attractive alternatives to traditional college.
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08.10.06
Posted in General, Bias at 9:48 pm by Matthew Bass
University of Wisconsin officials are being warned their refusal to recognize Christian student groups is illegal.
Not a surprising development considering the stance most colleges take towards Christianity. What’s interesting is that, in this case at least, the university is being publicly challenged on the issue.
There is no denying that students can still participate in similar groups off-campus, but this is typically not feasable given hectic class schedules and difficulty finding transportation to leave the campus. If the Christian students at that university were instead enrolled in distance education, they would likely have the time and flexibility needed to participate in such groups.
For more details about the school’s denial to recognize the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as a legitimate on-campus group, read the full article on WorldNetDaily.
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