Author Profile

Lou Buttino

Lou Buttino, with three graduate degrees, is the author of books, produced plays, and an optioned screenplay. An award-winning filmmaker, his numerous documentaries have been broadcast on PBS, NPR, and ESPN. He’s received a New York State Press Association Award, lectured at Harvard, Brown, and Syracuse University, and given the main address at numerous public events. He’s traveled to South Africa under Apartheid, and a Nicaragua at war. Currently, Dr. Buttino completed a new documentary, Going Home: Memoir of a Small Town, and a combined book and documentary proposal titled Fathers Who Remade America—and The Children Left Behind: Lincoln, JFK and Dr. King.

Articles by Lou Buttino

Faculty Accountability Is Terrible—Even Students Have Better Standards

Apr 23, 2018 · Lou Buttino · No Comments

I became interested in academic accountability within the university because I had no choice: the lack of accountability I experienced at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington obligated me to act. I had become embroiled in a situation where I was morally bound to report wrongdoing. But I had no idea that being a … Continue reading “Faculty Accountability Is Terrible—Even Students Have Better Standards”

Is Faculty Accountability Lacking at UNC Wilmington?

Feb 19, 2018 · Lou Buttino · No Comments

In my 45 years of teaching I have never filed an academic complaint against another faculty member—nor has one ever been filed against me. I have long believed that this demonstrates the overwhelming integrity of the teaching profession. But in 2012, as a professor and former chair in film studies at the University of North … Continue reading “Is Faculty Accountability Lacking at UNC Wilmington?”

The University of Virginia in an Uproar Again—Over a Single Faculty Hire Aug 17, 2018
With the memory of last August’s violent alt-right protest and counter-protest still raw, the University of Virginia is again under siege. The new invasion actually began a few weeks ahead of schedule. “As grim anniversary nears,” the Chronicle of Higher Education began its coverage in late July, and Inside Higher Ed also emphasized “the approaching … Continue reading “The University of Virginia in an Uproar Again—Over a Single Faculty Hire”
‘Social Justice’ is Overrunning the University of Texas Aug 15, 2018
The latest racket in higher education, evident at my alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, is the disturbing proliferation of “social justice” as a degree program, a course topic, an academic emphasis, and even as a prerequisite in campus job descriptions. “Social justice” is a seemingly innocuous term with no established definition. Many … Continue reading “‘Social Justice’ is Overrunning the University of Texas”
No, the World Doesn’t Need More Humanities PhDs Aug 10, 2018
In May, The Chronicle of Higher Education asked four academics from across the country to weigh in on the “adjunct crisis.” The results were predictable, with most of the blame directed at the usual suspects: bean-counting administrators, complacent, tenured faculty members, tight-fisted state legislators, and, of course, those evil Republicans. Solutions generally involved pressuring colleges and universities to fork … Continue reading “No, the World Doesn’t Need More Humanities PhDs”

University Foundations: A Convenient Way to Bypass Oversight Aug 13, 2018
As public institutions funded by taxpayers, state colleges and universities are limited in the kinds of commercial activity in which they can participate. This is particularly so when it comes to university land or property. However, through the use of institutionally affiliated—but still private—non-profit “foundations,” universities have found a convenient way to bypass these restrictions … Continue reading “University Foundations: A Convenient Way to Bypass Oversight”
The McAdams Case Ends in Victory for Contractual Rights and Academic Freedom Aug 8, 2018
At last, McAdams v. Marquette University is over, and the outcome is heartening for Americans who cherish free speech and adherence to contracts. Conversely, it has those who believe that speech that ofends any politically correct sensibilities must be punished gnashing their teeth. The Martin Center has been covering this case since it broke nearly … Continue reading “The McAdams Case Ends in Victory for Contractual Rights and Academic Freedom”
The New Racism, Part II: The Sociologist’s Toolkit: Justifying Racism Through Language Aug 3, 2018
Editor’s note: Part I of The New Racism can be read here. The best way to grasp how sociology has managed to make color-blind racism (CBR) seem believable is to study its Newspeak (to continue the Orwell theme). Whiteness To many modern sociologists, color blindness is a racist weapon that works, somehow, through whiteness, a … Continue reading “The New Racism, Part II: The Sociologist’s Toolkit: Justifying Racism Through Language”

The University of Virginia in an Uproar Again—Over a Single Faculty Hire Aug 17, 2018
With the memory of last August’s violent alt-right protest and counter-protest still raw, the University of Virginia is again under siege. The new invasion actually began a few weeks ahead of schedule. “As grim anniversary nears,” the Chronicle of Higher Education began its coverage in late July, and Inside Higher Ed also emphasized “the approaching … Continue reading “The University of Virginia in an Uproar Again—Over a Single Faculty Hire”
‘Social Justice’ is Overrunning the University of Texas Aug 15, 2018
The latest racket in higher education, evident at my alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, is the disturbing proliferation of “social justice” as a degree program, a course topic, an academic emphasis, and even as a prerequisite in campus job descriptions. “Social justice” is a seemingly innocuous term with no established definition. Many … Continue reading “‘Social Justice’ is Overrunning the University of Texas”
University Foundations: A Convenient Way to Bypass Oversight Aug 13, 2018
As public institutions funded by taxpayers, state colleges and universities are limited in the kinds of commercial activity in which they can participate. This is particularly so when it comes to university land or property. However, through the use of institutionally affiliated—but still private—non-profit “foundations,” universities have found a convenient way to bypass these restrictions … Continue reading “University Foundations: A Convenient Way to Bypass Oversight”