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”

UVA and the Dangerous Politicization of Our College Campuses

Nov 25, 2020 · · Comments Off on UVA and the Dangerous Politicization of Our College Campuses

It is no secret that our colleges and universities have witnessed a sea change in campus culture over the past two decades. Political correctness has run rampant. High-profile incidents such as the Yale Halloween costume controversy and phenomena such as safe spaces and building re-namings have captured public attention. College officials, however, assure us that … Continue reading “UVA and the Dangerous Politicization of Our College Campuses”

The New American Academy: Break Out the Crayons and Play-Doh

Jan 27, 2020 · · Comments Off on The New American Academy: Break Out the Crayons and Play-Doh

The idea of a campus “safe space”—a university-sanctioned oasis where students can go to destress and feel at ease—has had its share of ridicule. And it’s not hard to see why: It is often hard to distinguish between a college safe space and a preschool daycare. For example, in April 2019, the University of North … Continue reading “The New American Academy: Break Out the Crayons and Play-Doh”

From Indoctrination to Education: Salvaging the University

May 10, 2019 · and · Comments Off on From Indoctrination to Education: Salvaging the University

Editor’s note: This article is an excerpt from Coming Home: Reclaiming America’s Conservative Soul (ISBN: 9781641770569), to be published by Encounter Books on May 14. The promise of higher education has become a trap for tens of millions of Americans. The promise: Every one of us and our children could go to college, earn a … Continue reading “From Indoctrination to Education: Salvaging the University”

Princeton Prof Thinks Free Speech Is in Serious Trouble

May 23, 2018 · · Comments Off on Princeton Prof Thinks Free Speech Is in Serious Trouble

After months of clashes with angry students, the university decided that the young professor it hired had to go. From the day of his first class on campus, protesters had disrupted his lectures. Police had to clear angry students out of the room each day. Officials feared for the professor’s safety and appealed to students … Continue reading “Princeton Prof Thinks Free Speech Is in Serious Trouble”

My University Treated Me Like a Criminal Over a Joke

Jul 19, 2017 · · Comments Off on My University Treated Me Like a Criminal Over a Joke

For the past six years, I have taught an undergraduate course on international economics at Johns Hopkins University. Most of my students thought it was a very good course. So I was shocked when, on December 6, 2016, I was met at the door of my classroom by Johns Hopkins security personnel and barred from … Continue reading “My University Treated Me Like a Criminal Over a Joke”

racial protest

How Colleges Themselves Bring About Racial Protests

Jul 5, 2017 · · Comments Off on How Colleges Themselves Bring About Racial Protests

This academic year has been punctuated by a series of high-profile campus protests. Many student grievances have, as in previous years, centered on claims of racial injustice. If next academic year is to be about education rather than protest, faculty and administrators must explore the role they play in both politicizing college life and racializing … Continue reading “How Colleges Themselves Bring About Racial Protests”

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?”

Will the Surge of Support for Free Speech on Campus Do Any Good?

Nov 16, 2016 · · Comments Off on Will the Surge of Support for Free Speech on Campus Do Any Good?

Last month, PEN America, the U.S. branch of an international organization, published a strong defense of free speech on college campuses. The nearly century-old group stands for the idea that “People everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to make it possible for everyone to … Continue reading “Will the Surge of Support for Free Speech on Campus Do Any Good?”

Colleges Are Promoting Psychological Frailty and We Should All Be Concerned

Nov 9, 2016 · · Comments Off on Colleges Are Promoting Psychological Frailty and We Should All Be Concerned

“And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.” – Thomas Wayne, Batman Begins Administrators at the University of Florida recently notified students that a 24-hour counseling hotline is available to anyone who feels offended by Halloween costumes. Other colleges, in an attempt to pre-empt the psychological threat of offensive costumes, … Continue reading “Colleges Are Promoting Psychological Frailty and We Should All Be Concerned”