How and Why Are American Minds Being Canceled?
Colleges and universities keep telling us that they teach “critical thinking” skills, but in reality they are deeply complicit in the destruction of the ability to think at all. They’re…
Posts tagged with
“academic freedom”
Letter to the Editor: Should speech from Student for Justice in Palestine be protected?
To the editor: Dear Ms. Robinson, Your essay on banning SJP is very thoughtful, but it does omit some relevant considerations. Speech is unprotected if it advocates violence, particularly if…
Can Universities Ban Students for Justice in Palestine?
Just days after Hamas’s brutal terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians, students around the country shocked observers with their condemnation of the state of Israel and full-throated support for Palestinians and…
Model Legislation: General Education Act
American universities always have recognized citizens’ authority to shape the educational mission of public universities, particularly with respect to “general education”—courses prerequisite to graduation. Appointed or elected university trustees usually…
Is a New Campus Speech Initiative For Real?
Thirteen college presidents, including those of Duke, Cornell, and Rutgers, have signed on to the “Campus Call for Free Expression” (CCFE), a project organized by a low-profile Princeton-and-Woodrow-Wilson-related group called…
What “Collegiality” Means
What is “collegiality,” and what do universities need to do to establish it? Radical academics and administrators in higher education are now using “lack of collegiality” as a pretext to…
Does Tenure Matter?
In many red-leaning states around the country, lawmakers have proposed modifying or ending tenure. In my home state of North Carolina, House Bill 715 was under consideration but appears to…
A Bitter Lesson for a Philanthropist at Arizona State
Many donors have come to regret their financial support of colleges and universities, learning afterward that their money has been used in ways that are not compatible with their desires…
Why We Need the Liberal Arts
John Agresto’s splendid new book, The Death of Learning, is not nearly as depressing as its title might lead one to expect. On the contrary, it is an exhilarating read and,…
How Our College Leaders “Cull the Herd”
Every so often, one of our college leaders blurts out the truth about their feelings and beliefs. In their public pronouncements, they always try to appear reasonable, when they’re actually…