Topic: Politicization

Did You Know? Disrupt Texts Is the Latest Attack on the Western Canon

Jan 14, 2021 · · No Comments on Did You Know? Disrupt Texts Is the Latest Attack on the Western Canon

Penguin Classics is partnering with Disrupt Texts to replace Shakespeare and Homer with Ibram X. Kendi. What is Disrupt Texts? For the uninitiated, it is a new radical movement in classrooms which seeks to disrupt the “hegemony of English” and the Western canon by replacing them. According to its own website, Disrupt Texts is a “crowdsourced, grassroots effort by … Continue reading “Did You Know? Disrupt Texts Is the Latest Attack on the Western Canon”

The Spurning of Old Books: The Devaluation of the Past Threatens Higher Ed

Jan 13, 2021 · · No Comments on The Spurning of Old Books: The Devaluation of the Past Threatens Higher Ed

Alan Jacobs’ new book, Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader’s Guide to a More Tranquil Mind, is a coaxing argument to read “old books that come from strange times.” Readers of his previous works The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction and How to Think will not be surprised that Jacobs, distinguished … Continue reading “The Spurning of Old Books: The Devaluation of the Past Threatens Higher Ed”

Did You Know? Chinese Government Influence at North Carolina Colleges

Dec 17, 2020 · · No Comments on Did You Know? Chinese Government Influence at North Carolina Colleges

Three universities in North Carolina host chapters of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, a group with ties to the Chinese government. According to a May article in Campus Reform, Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NC State all have chapters. The website of the Chinese Students & Scholars Friendship Association at NC State states that … Continue reading “Did You Know? Chinese Government Influence at North Carolina Colleges”

To De-Politicize Art Schools, Students Need to Fight Back  

Dec 16, 2020 · · No Comments on To De-Politicize Art Schools, Students Need to Fight Back  

It has never been harder to teach artistic individualism in America. A religious devotion to the causes of social justice dominates the ideas of professors in the academy, and David Randall’s report “Social Justice Education in America” has made clear that their evangelical zeal for teaching students the merits of intersectional political activism is topped … Continue reading “To De-Politicize Art Schools, Students Need to Fight Back  “

Who Is Responsible for the Loss of Faith in Science?

Dec 11, 2020 · · No Comments on Who Is Responsible for the Loss of Faith in Science?

In an essay in the liberal UK broadsheet The Guardian, multiple authors chart out the most important task for the incoming Biden administration: to “restore the faith in science.” “Joe Biden’s most important promise to the American people was a policy platform taken for granted prior the Trump presidency: believe science,” the article suggests, adding … Continue reading “Who Is Responsible for the Loss of Faith in Science?”

Dear Humanists: You Have Done That Yourself

Dec 9, 2020 · · No Comments on Dear Humanists: You Have Done That Yourself

Every time I read an op-ed piece from some English professor (and isn’t it always an English professor?) whining about the demise of the humanities, in The Chronicle of Higher Education or elsewhere, I’m reminded of that great scene from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.    You know the one. As Anakin Skywalker and his erstwhile friend and … Continue reading “Dear Humanists: You Have Done That Yourself”

Speaking Out Against Censorship in Academia

Dec 2, 2020 · · No Comments on Speaking Out Against Censorship in Academia

As academia becomes ever-more entrenched in groupthink, it can be intimidating to be a lone voice that refuses to toe the ideological line. And for good reason: failure to at least appear to agree with the ideological consensus on campus can result in a number of professional—and personal—consequences. But those potential consequences haven’t deterred one … Continue reading “Speaking Out Against Censorship in Academia”

Why Do UNC Schools Spend Money on Diversity Training That Doesn’t Work?

Nov 30, 2020 · · No Comments on Why Do UNC Schools Spend Money on Diversity Training That Doesn’t Work?

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include information about UNC-Charlotte, which responded to a public records request after publication. Higher ed leaders love committees and training sessions. The technocratic mind that rules campus sees a problem and usually decides that the solution is more resources and education. Once the money is spent and … Continue reading “Why Do UNC Schools Spend Money on Diversity Training That Doesn’t Work?”

UVA and the Dangerous Politicization of Our College Campuses

Nov 25, 2020 · · No Comments 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”