Department of Justice Archives — The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal

The Campus Free Speech Problem Worsens and Washington Finally Acts

Oct 4, 2017 · George Leef · 5 Comments

The turnabout in federal policy towards higher education has been dramatic. Back on September 7, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced that her department was rescinding the 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter in which the Obama administration’s Office for Civil Rights imposed new standards for the way colleges must deal with allegations of sexual assault and … Continue reading “The Campus Free Speech Problem Worsens and Washington Finally Acts”

The Success of Concealed Carry at Texas Public Colleges Oct 12, 2018
The fight for gun rights on campus is often contentious and generally does not favor the Second Amendment. But in August, pro-gun advocates won a major battle when a federal appeals court threw out a legal challenge by three University of Texas at Austin professors to Texas’s “campus carry” law. Campus carry, approved by the … Continue reading “The Success of Concealed Carry at Texas Public Colleges”
How Comfortable Do Conservatives Feel on Campus? Sep 28, 2018
The internet is filled with stories of how conservative student groups are mistreated on campus. Conservative and libertarian students often sound the alarm about hostile administrators, violent protesters, and unpleasant experiences. They have their invited speakers shouted down, prevented from speaking by the imposition of exorbitant security fees, or simply canceled by administrators bending to … Continue reading “How Comfortable Do Conservatives Feel on Campus?”
Exposing the Harms of the ‘Diversity Delusion’ Sep 26, 2018
On November 7, 2006, Michigan voters passed Proposition 2, a measure that banned the use of racial preferences throughout state government and state universities. The next day, University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman issued a defiant statement. In it she pledged to fight in the courts against the voters’ decision to have a color-blind … Continue reading “Exposing the Harms of the ‘Diversity Delusion’”

Higher Education and the Threat of Fascism Oct 3, 2018
In a recent essay published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Yale philosophy professor Jason Stanley is haunted by a spectre—the spectre of American universities aiding the rise of fascism. (The essay, “Fascism and the University” is subscriber-only content, unfortunately.) He says that “patterns have emerged that suggest the resurgence of fascist politics globally” and … Continue reading “Higher Education and the Threat of Fascism”
Apathetic Bureaucrats and Students: What the Right Deals with on Campus Oct 1, 2018
Headlines in the conservative blogosphere sometimes characterize academia as a hostile environment. Real and egregious offenses by administrators, faculty, and fellow students occur that trample the rights of conservative and libertarian students and their invited speakers. But do these incidents represent the situation on most campuses? My own experience at Wake County Technical College in … Continue reading “Apathetic Bureaucrats and Students: What the Right Deals with on Campus”
How Comfortable Do Conservatives Feel on Campus? Sep 28, 2018
The internet is filled with stories of how conservative student groups are mistreated on campus. Conservative and libertarian students often sound the alarm about hostile administrators, violent protesters, and unpleasant experiences. They have their invited speakers shouted down, prevented from speaking by the imposition of exorbitant security fees, or simply canceled by administrators bending to … Continue reading “How Comfortable Do Conservatives Feel on Campus?”

The Evidence for Standardized Tests Already Exists Oct 17, 2018
Making college admissions “test-optional” has been steadily gaining steam among elite and liberal arts American colleges. In late September, Colby College and Rosemont College joined the hundreds of other institutions that do not require their applicants to submit standardized test scores to be admitted to the school. Other schools that have “test-optional” policies include Bowdoin … Continue reading “The Evidence for Standardized Tests Already Exists”
How Colleges Could Benefit from an NBA Rule Change Oct 15, 2018
It is increasingly apparent that college basketball serves as an unofficial minor league for the National Basketball Association (NBA) rather than as an extracurricular activity for students. And it is not by accident, but by design. Take the NBA’s “one-and-done” rule, for instance. It has sparked debate since its addition to the 2005 NBA Collective … Continue reading “How Colleges Could Benefit from an NBA Rule Change”
The Success of Concealed Carry at Texas Public Colleges Oct 12, 2018
The fight for gun rights on campus is often contentious and generally does not favor the Second Amendment. But in August, pro-gun advocates won a major battle when a federal appeals court threw out a legal challenge by three University of Texas at Austin professors to Texas’s “campus carry” law. Campus carry, approved by the … Continue reading “The Success of Concealed Carry at Texas Public Colleges”