States Must Go Beyond Affirmative Action Bans to Stop Discriminatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on College Campuses

Apr 13, 2022 · · Comments Off on States Must Go Beyond Affirmative Action Bans to Stop Discriminatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on College Campuses

The Supreme Court may ban affirmative action, but even if it does, many race, sex, and ideology-conscious “diversity” policies and programs will still remain on college campuses. Regardless of the Court’s decision, state legislators have an important role to play in striking down discriminatory practices in public higher education. Idaho is emblematic of how a … Continue reading “States Must Go Beyond Affirmative Action Bans to Stop Discriminatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on College Campuses”

A Frenemy on the Left: Robert Boyers on The Tyranny of Virtue

Mar 11, 2022 · · Comments Off on A Frenemy on the Left: Robert Boyers on The Tyranny of Virtue

I have long been fond of saying that there are colleagues for whom I would be delighted to vote if they sought my support for service on a university committee, but not if they were running for political office. I’d like to think that Robert Boyers, a genuine literary intellectual who teaches at Skidmore College … Continue reading “A Frenemy on the Left: Robert Boyers on The Tyranny of Virtue“

Did You Know? New Paper Shows Ideological Conformity in Higher Ed Grants

Jan 27, 2022 · · Comments Off on Did You Know? New Paper Shows Ideological Conformity in Higher Ed Grants

“As of 2020, across all fields 30.4% of successful grant abstracts contained at least one of the terms ‘equity,’ ‘diversity,’ ‘inclusion,’ ‘gender,’ ‘marginalize,’ ‘underrepresented,’ or ‘disparity.’ This is up from 2.9% in 1990,” claims a new report titled Increasing Politicization and Homogeneity in Scientific Funding: An Analysis of NSF Grants, 1990-2020 by Leif Rasmussen for … Continue reading “Did You Know? New Paper Shows Ideological Conformity in Higher Ed Grants”

The Bell Tolls for Tenure?

Jan 3, 2022 · · Comments Off on The Bell Tolls for Tenure?

A bill making its way through the South Carolina legislature may have a tremendous impact on the state’s public higher education system.  And if successful, it may prove as a model for other states looking to get a handle on their hard-to-control higher education systems. House Bill 4522—the “Cancelling Professor Tenure Act”—will end tenure for … Continue reading “The Bell Tolls for Tenure?”

Did You Know? Large Enrollment Gap Between Men and Women

Sep 9, 2021 · · Comments Off on Did You Know? Large Enrollment Gap Between Men and Women

Women outnumber men in higher education at record levels. According to enrollment data from the National Student Clearinghouse, women comprised 59.5 percent of college students at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. Men only made up 40.5 percent of college students.  According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, this enrollment gap between men … Continue reading “Did You Know? Large Enrollment Gap Between Men and Women”

Bridge to Discrimination: Decades of Gender Bias in the UNC System

Jul 19, 2021 · · Comments Off on Bridge to Discrimination: Decades of Gender Bias in the UNC System

Although many colleges and universities today claim to be dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion, their policies and practices often violate those principles. Among the most common types of violations are single-sex programs for women and girls, which exclude men and boys. Such violations are pervasive through the University of North Carolina System, as described … Continue reading “Bridge to Discrimination: Decades of Gender Bias in the UNC System”

Photo by Jerry and Pat Donaho

A Christian College Sues to Protect Its Values Against the Federal Leviathan

May 7, 2021 · · Comments Off on A Christian College Sues to Protect Its Values Against the Federal Leviathan

Under the Constitution, the federal government has no power over education, including arrangements that colleges make for student housing and expectations for their conduct on campus. Furthermore, the First Amendment protects religious institutions’ freedom to speak and operate according to their beliefs. Nevertheless, College of the Ozarks has just filed suit against President Biden and … Continue reading “A Christian College Sues to Protect Its Values Against the Federal Leviathan”

Addressing Masculinity in Higher Ed

Mar 24, 2021 · · Comments Off on Addressing Masculinity in Higher Ed

As a lecturer in the humanities, I have had the privilege and challenge of moderating discussions of controversial topics, often based on literary texts. Over the past two years, the number of students self-censoring or not speaking when a topic is seen as “not for them” has increased dramatically. Instead, many of them visit during … Continue reading “Addressing Masculinity in Higher Ed”

Whither Race-Neutrality in California?

Aug 26, 2020 · · Comments Off on Whither Race-Neutrality in California?

In 1996, California voters approved Proposition 209 by an impressive 56-to-44 percent majority. Prop 209 amended the state’s constitution to prohibit the granting of preferences based on race or gender. It inaugurated a series of campaigns, led by businessman and University of California Regent Ward Connerly, that by 2006 had established similar prohibitions in 10 … Continue reading “Whither Race-Neutrality in California?”

The Sociology of the Academic Outrage Mob

Aug 21, 2020 · · Comments Off on The Sociology of the Academic Outrage Mob

The academy seems built for public controversy because professors are encouraged to question ideas and popular beliefs. It shouldn’t be surprising that academic outrage has a long history. In the past, scholars could find themselves in trouble, like Galileo, who defended Copernican astronomy and then proceeded to attack Pope Urban VIII, a position so unpopular … Continue reading “The Sociology of the Academic Outrage Mob”