1776 Unites: An Alternative to Campus Victimhood Culture

Mar 12, 2021 · · Comments Off on 1776 Unites: An Alternative to Campus Victimhood Culture

Over the past decade, American moral culture has changed. The evidence of those changes has been especially apparent on college campuses, where new concepts such as microaggressions, safe spaces, trigger warnings, and bias response teams were first tested. But this new “victimhood culture” is devastating to its adherents, disempowering them and dooming them to disappointment. … Continue reading “1776 Unites: An Alternative to Campus Victimhood Culture”

The Campaign to Stamp Out Academic Heresy

Jan 27, 2021 · · Comments Off on The Campaign to Stamp Out Academic Heresy

Back in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, church officials felt it necessary to scrutinize every book or pamphlet for the slightest hint of heresy. If the work deviated from doctrine, it would be banned, burned, and the author could be punished. The Enlightenment brought a change in attitude toward freedom of speech. In Britain, … Continue reading “The Campaign to Stamp Out Academic Heresy”

Where Did ‘Cancel Culture’ Come From?

Nov 2, 2020 · · Comments Off on Where Did ‘Cancel Culture’ Come From?

“People that work at universities and newspapers should be the most intellectually free people in the world.” Few would vocally disagree with these words recently said by former New York Times writer Bari Weiss. And yet, despite living in the freest country in the world, it’s become increasingly risky for students, academics, and journalists even … Continue reading “Where Did ‘Cancel Culture’ Come From?”

Intellectual Desegregation: What Heterodox Thought Requires from Academics

Jan 1, 2020 · · Comments Off on Intellectual Desegregation: What Heterodox Thought Requires from Academics

A few years ago, Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, realized that most of his colleagues were on the Left. This is not necessarily a bad thing. People are allowed to have differing political views. It is also wrong to judge the quality of scientific research on political beliefs. However, the uniformity of opinion presents institutional … Continue reading “Intellectual Desegregation: What Heterodox Thought Requires from Academics”

A Psychological Profile of the New Campus Activist

Aug 19, 2019 · · Comments Off on A Psychological Profile of the New Campus Activist

A certain anger at society seems to pervade the academy today. Hardly a week goes by without hearing about outraged students either demanding recompense for some perceived injustice or attempting to shut down an invited speaker. Between professors who spread neo-Marxist ideologies, administrators who enforce an extreme political correctness on campus, and peer pressure to … Continue reading “A Psychological Profile of the New Campus Activist”

Reforming Higher Education: A Reading List

Jun 28, 2019 · · Comments Off on Reforming Higher Education: A Reading List

As more students have headed to college and a degree is seen as a way to shape students as workers and as citizens, higher education’s mission has become more important. Its leaders, and their personal beliefs, have become more contentious, too. In recent months, many conservative thinkers have publicly debated how to reform higher education—or, … Continue reading “Reforming Higher Education: A Reading List”

The 10 Most Important Higher Education Events of 2018

Dec 31, 2018 · · Comments Off on The 10 Most Important Higher Education Events of 2018

This year has been a turbulent one for higher education. From #MeToo to academic hoaxes, colleges and universities across the country have had to grapple with new problems that continue to shake individuals’ confidence in higher education. Here are the ten events we think have been the most significant: Jenna A. Robinson, President 1. Purdue … Continue reading “The 10 Most Important Higher Education Events of 2018”

Universities and the ‘Coddling’ of the American Mind

Sep 5, 2018 · · Comments Off on Universities and the ‘Coddling’ of the American Mind

In 2015, Greg Lukianoff (president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) and Jonathan Haidt (professor of ethical leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business) wrote an article for The Atlantic entitled “The Coddling of the American Mind.” In that article, the authors argued that students (college but also pre-college) increasingly react … Continue reading “Universities and the ‘Coddling’ of the American Mind”

The “Snowflake” Generation: Real or Imagined?

Dec 19, 2016 · · Comments Off on The “Snowflake” Generation: Real or Imagined?

When universities institute things such as “safe spaces” and “trigger warnings,” they often justify doing so in the name of protecting students’ mental health. Critics, on the other hand, argue that universities are more often protecting students from ideas with which they disagree and shielding them from the vicissitudes of adulthood. But there is at … Continue reading “The “Snowflake” Generation: Real or Imagined?”