Academics

Future leaders in business, government, and civil society need more than just job skills. The following articles defend the value of liberal education, with a focus on academic quality and rigor, fundamental knowledge, and the ideas that have shaped Western Civilization. They also scrutinize academic programs that have departed from these ideals in the name of progressive ideology.

Racial intimidation at N.C. State

Mar 1, 2002 · Jon Sanders

On Thursday, Feb. 28, North Carolina State University Prof. Phillip Muñoz’s political science class on “Law and Justice” was interrupted by a group of black students. The group passed out slips of paper to students as they entered the classroom, then lined up along the side wall of the classroom. The group never spoke, not even to respond to the professor’s repeated invitations to state their case. They were there to offer support, or better stated, intimidation, on behalf of a black student upset about the class.

Inspired by Sept. 11, some new college courses dismissed as ‘psychobabble’

Feb 15, 2002 · Jon Sanders

New courses inspired by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 have been developed on college campuses nationwide. Most deal matter-of-factly with the issues, but some have come under criticism for being “gadfly courses” and “politically correct pseudo-courses.”

Courses welcome back at UNC-Qatar

· Jon Sanders

On the back page of its Feb. 14-21 issue, the Nubian featured a large picture of “The infamous Darren O’Connor.” A diabolical reddish glow suffuses O’Connor’s face, almost crowding out his features, except for the dark hollows of his eyes, which are exaggerated by the hellish light.

Poll shows how college students were affected by events of Sept. 11

Feb 8, 2002 · Jon Sanders

About two out of three college students have changed their behavior as a result of the terrorist attacks of Septemeber 11, according to a poll released this week by the Independent Women’s Forum. Ninety-six percent of students polled report that the attacks had an impact on their lives.

Racial references to blame for black graduation rates at N.C. State, not low aid

Feb 1, 2002 · Jon Sanders

A collection of black student interest groups at North Carolina State University has graded the university on the subjects of enrollment and graduation of black students and recruitment of black faculty. The African-American Student Advisory Council, not surprisingly, gave the university mostly failing grades. In essence, the groups gave N.C. State low marks because the university doesn’t discriminate enough in the way they want it to.

Bill would study giving illegal immigrants access to in-state tuition rates

Jan 18, 2002 · Jon Sanders

Some illegal immigrants may now pay resident tuition to attend public universities in California, thanks to legislation signed last year by Gov. Gray Davis and a vote this week by the University of California Board of Regents. In North Carolina, a bill before the Senate would create a commission to study doing the same thing here.

UNC-Wilmington professor at center of free-speech fight

Jan 15, 2002 · Jon Sanders

Controversy continues to swirl around what the University of North Carolina at Wilmington did to a professor for chiding a student’s mass-distributed e-mail as “bad speech.”

College isn’t ‘more important than ever,’ despite the Lumina Foundation study

Jan 11, 2002 · Jon Sanders

Despite the Lumina Foundation’s jeremiad over the “inaccessibility” of higher education hindering the goal of making college available to all citizens, other research indicates that such a goal itself is not socially optimal.

UNCW denies chilling free speech after inspecting professor

Dec 21, 2001 · Martin Center Staff

Controversy continues to swirl around what the University of North Carolina at Wilmington did to a professor for chiding a student’s mass-distributed e-mail as “bad speech.” As well as around what UNCW didn’t do.

UNC-Chapel Hill mulls opening business school in Qatar

Dec 15, 2001 · Jon Sanders

As the liberation of Afghanistan continues unabated and well ahead of schedule, and as Hamas takes credit for another bloody round of suicide-bomb attacks on civilians and teenagers in Israel, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill mulls a proposal to open a business school in the Emirate of Qatar.