Thursday, April 13, 2017

Metastasizing Academic Cancer

Via Billy


The average American has little knowledge of the extent to which our institutions of higher learning have been infected with spreading cancer. One aspect of that cancer is akin to the loyalty oaths of the 1940s and ’50s. Professors were often required to sign statements that affirmed their loyalty to the United States government plus swear they were not members of any organizations, including the Communist Party USA, that sought the overthrow of the United States government. Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down loyalty oaths as a condition of employment in 1964.

Today we’re seeing the re-emergence of the mentality that gave us loyalty oaths, in the form of mandating that faculty members write “diversity statements,” especially as part of hiring and promotion procedures. They are forced to pledge allegiance to the college’s diversity agenda. For example, the University of California, San Diego requires that one’s “Contributions to Diversity Statement” describe one’s “past experience, activities and future plans to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, in alignment with UC San Diego’s mission to reflect the diversity of California and to meet the educational needs and interests of its diverse population (http://tinyurl.com/mm6vzzq).” 

George Leef, director of research at The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, has written an article titled “Loyalty Oaths Return with Faculty ‘Diversity Statements'” (http://tinyurl.com/mxy363c). His article documents the growing trend of mandated faculty diversity statements — such as that !at Virginia Tech, in which “candidates should include a list of activities that promote or contribute to inclusive teaching, research, outreach, and service.”

More @ LRC

2 comments:

  1. I have argued for several years now; modern colleges are a fraud. They have stopped educating students and moved to indoctrination. They fail completely, at preparing their students to become productive members of society. They fail completely, at giving their students the skills to find gainful employment. However, they excel at making their students, sensitive to their feelings. They excel at making their students, see racism in anything.

    A majority of young adults, graduate college every year with no useable or marketable skill. They graduate with a crushing debt, most will never be able to repay. They graduate totally unprepared for life. A sad legacy, for what was once the pinnacle of higher education in the world.

    Badger

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    1. I remember a girl who worked at Walmart who said it was the best she could find after graduating junior college.

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