Politicization Archives — Page 2 of 74 — The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal

Student Governments Can Help to Restore Faith in Higher Education

Jul 17, 2017 · J.T. Klimek · 3 Comments

Higher education has a public relations problem on its hands. The results of a new Pew Research survey show that almost 60 percent of Republicans believe higher education has a “negative effect on the way things are going in the country.” Given recent high-profile cases involving violent protests, the shouting-down of conservative campus speakers, and … Continue reading “Student Governments Can Help to Restore Faith in Higher Education”

Professors Should Write Books That Seek Truth, Not Inflame Passions

Jul 14, 2017 · George Leef · 25 Comments

The academic enterprise is supposed to be about truth. Those who are entrusted to teach are expected to convey knowledge to their students, not their opinions. And when academics write books, they should do so to deepen knowledge in their fields, never to mislead readers. Sometimes, however, academics allow their zeal to convert students or … Continue reading “Professors Should Write Books That Seek Truth, Not Inflame Passions”

An Inside Perspective on Radicals’ Treatment of Wake Forest’s Eudaimonia Institute

Jul 10, 2017 · Robert M. Whaples · 33 Comments

Last fall Wake Forest University announced a $4.2 million donation to fund “the study of human flourishing” at the university’s newest institute—the Eudaimonia Institute (EI). Although it took people a while to pronounce this elegant Greek word correctly—the pronunciation is “yoo-dye-mo-NEE-uh”—the generous gift seemed to be a perfect fit with Wake’s mission. The Greek root … Continue reading “An Inside Perspective on Radicals’ Treatment of Wake Forest’s Eudaimonia Institute”

How Colleges Themselves Bring About Racial Protests

Jul 5, 2017 · Joanna Williams · 3 Comments

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”

North Carolina’s New Institutional Neutrality Policy Is a Win for Preventing Campus Bias

Jul 4, 2017 · Jay Schalin · No Comments

Yesterday, I came to bury Caesar. That was a mistake, so today, I’m going to praise him. By “Caesar,” I mean the North Carolina Legislature. I wanted to “bury” them—in rhetorical fashion—for removing institutional neutrality out of the otherwise outstanding North Carolina Campus Free Speech Act (HB 527). After we published that article, I reread … Continue reading “North Carolina’s New Institutional Neutrality Policy Is a Win for Preventing Campus Bias”

Making Legal Education Great Again

Jun 30, 2017 · Allen Mendenhall · 4 Comments

Legal education has become a surprisingly regular topic of news media for several years now. Most of this commentary has focused on enrollment and matriculation problems, bar passage rates, accreditation standards, student debt, and the job market for recent graduates. These are pressing issues that raise vexing questions for law school administrators, and they warrant … Continue reading “Making Legal Education Great Again”

Shouts and Protests on Campus Are Signs of a More Pernicious Problem

Jun 23, 2017 · Geoffrey Vaughan · 1 Comment

Vice President Mike Pence spoke to the graduating class of Notre Dame, drawing attention to the loss of free speech on American campuses. He denounced the “noxious wave that seems to be rushing over much of academia.” The problem is that this wave is coming from within academia, not “rushing over” it as if from … Continue reading “Shouts and Protests on Campus Are Signs of a More Pernicious Problem”

Budget Cuts to Push Intellectual Diversity? There Are Better Ways

Jun 19, 2017 · Frank Pray · 3 Comments

Temperatures in North Carolina may not yet have reached their high point this summer, but tensions certainly are heating up now between the UNC School of Law and the North Carolina General Assembly over the latter’s proposed budget. The North Carolina Senate’s budget proposal, now being debated in the House, includes a $4 million reduction … Continue reading “Budget Cuts to Push Intellectual Diversity? There Are Better Ways”

Administrative Bloat on Campus: Academia Shrinks, Students Suffer

Jun 16, 2017 · Wendy McElroy · 13 Comments

American campuses have drifted away from academia and toward administration. The shift badly impacts the traditional mission of both college and students. Ideally, college infuses knowledge and critical thinking through a free flow of ideas. But modern campuses are ideological battlefields where real debate is discouraged. Ideally, students are exposed to a wide range of … Continue reading “Administrative Bloat on Campus: Academia Shrinks, Students Suffer”

Duke Assails Free Speech So It Can “Protect and Value Diverse Perspectives”

Jun 14, 2017 · George Leef · 29 Comments

American college campuses are becoming more and more like the old communist states where people enjoyed freedom of speech—but only so long as they didn’t question some aspect of the official orthodoxy. Any such “deviationism” was apt to land them in severe trouble with the authorities, who encouraged loyal citizens to report it. (Alexander Solzhenitsyn … Continue reading “Duke Assails Free Speech So It Can “Protect and Value Diverse Perspectives””