One of the stories in my new book, The Dumbest Generation Grows Up: From Stupefied Youth to Dangerous Adults is that of the changed status of undergraduates and professors. They don’t relate to one another the way they used to. If you wandered the hallways at State U in 1980, you’d sense an ordinary relationship … Continue reading “The Professors Made Their Bed”
America’s colleges and universities are loaded with professors who insist on teaching students various theories that amount to nothing but fringe opinions and who don’t engage intellectually with those who disagree, but merely try to “cancel” them. There are, however, still some professors who won’t play those games. One of them is Erec Smith, who … Continue reading “Meet a Rhetoric Professor Who Favors Empowerment and Opposes CRT”
Are you a freshly-minted Ph.D. holder interested in becoming a tenure-track computer science professor at UNC-Chapel Hill? First, you’ll have to submit a “diversity statement” describing your “commitment to diversity.” Candidates seeking to be an assistant professor at Boston University’s business school should include references to the “diversity contributions” they would bring in their cover … Continue reading “From Hiring to Admissions, Universities Seek Ideological Conformity in Applicants”
Business schools in the United States are fiercely competitive and, by and large, led by intelligent, careful individuals. The top schools’ nigh universal endorsement of progressive values—in word and in deed—sets the tone for the rest and stems neither from incompetence nor malicious intent. Rather, it stems from incentives dictated by rankings criteria and ideologically … Continue reading “How the Woke Mob Captured Business Schools”
In 2014, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) filed suit against the University of North Carolina. Its complaint argued that the university had engaged in intentional discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity to the detriment of SFFA members. The suit followed in a line of cases challenging the admissions policies of universities, where students … Continue reading “Judge Rules for UNC in Admissions Case”
In early October, Bright Sheng, a professor of music at the University of Michigan, played the 1965 rendition of Shakespeare’s Othello for his undergraduate class. The film starred Laurence Olivier, who was wearing black makeup, as the titular character. Having no concern for context or artistry, the university community revolted, deeming the film (and Sheng … Continue reading “Woke Universities are Rousseau’s Children”
Editor’s note: This essay is based on a talk given by Gail Heriot on October 29, 2021, for the Martin Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Ladies and gentlemen, if you’re here tonight, it’s because you are concerned that our colleges and universities aren’t doing so well. Maybe you’re even very concerned. Well … I hate … Continue reading “How Short-term Thinking on Race Has Caused Long-term Problems in Higher Education”
On September 29, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) announced that it is investigating what it calls “egregious violations of principles of academic governance and persistent structural racism in the University of North Carolina System.” To do so, it has launched a special committee and will release its findings in early 2022. According to … Continue reading “Why Is the AAUP Investigating UNC?”
Currently, nine states prohibit colleges and universities from practicing race-conscious admissions. That number may soon become ten if a new bill in the North Carolina legislature is successfully adopted. Public opinion polling shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans oppose racial preferences in college admissions. Even in states dominated by the political left, citizens have … Continue reading ““We Cannot Fight Fire with Fire”: Efforts to Ban Race-Based College Admissions”
Does the average person have any idea what is now considered “normal” in the field of K-12 education? I already had some misgivings after reading Jay Schalin’s devastating review of the curricula in education schools: The Politicization of University Schools of Education: The Long March through the Education Schools. Nevertheless, I was unprepared for what … Continue reading “Math Teachers are Taught that Elementary Math Education is a “Struggle for Justice””