CHAPEL HILL – A report released by the John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy today challenges the merits of the tuition waiver program at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, while shedding light on academic and administrative concerns at the school.
RALEIGH — In June 2003, the Supreme Court heard two cases concerning racial preferences in Michigan higher education, Gratz v. Bollinger (on preferences used by the University of Michigan) and Grutter v. Bollinger (on preferences used by its Law School). The Court ruling against outright racial preferences in admissions while ruling in favor of considering race in admissions so long as it is used as only one of “pertinent elements of diversity.”
For more than 30 years, Title IX of the Education Amendments has been heralded as the reason for the increase in the number of women’s athletic programs across the country and providing opportunities for women like Mia Hamm to compete on the college level.
While Title IX has provided more opportunities in athletics for women, it has done the opposite for men. A federal guideline intended to prevent discrimination among the sexes in education has done just the opposite in college athletics. Title IX requirements have been used to cut athletic opportunities for men, while at the same time increasing opportunities for women.
Democritus, the “laughing philosopher,” was described by Laurence Sterne as “trying all the powers of irony and laughter to reclaim” the town of Abdera, “the vilest and most profligate town of Thrace.” Meanwhile, some UNC-Chapel Hill faculty members complain about the mockery of the Pope Center.
RALEIGH — The new year has presented “academic freedom” with a grave new threat. The Foundation for Individual Liberty has published its Guide to Free Speech on Campus. The guide gives a shot in the arm, however, to academic freedom.
Remember H.L. Mencken’s famous jest about Puritanism? “The haunting fear that someone, somewhere is happy.” Apply it to F.H. Buckley’s observations that “The modern Puritan devotes himself to political rather than religious duties” and that this Puritanism “is particularly pronounced in the academy.” Does that not explain this spectacle of self-righteous UNC professors carping about mockery and fearing political infidels in the classroom?
In the December 4 issue of The Washington Post, a column by Ellen Goodman entitled “Those Poor College Conservatives” claims conservative protests about the makeup of university faculty lacks substance. Goodman expresses her bafflement by exclaiming, “The only ones who take the universities as seriously as universities take themselves are activists on the right.”
What if the petty, snarling villain in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol were Bob Cratchit? What if Ebenezer Scrooge had tried from the beginning to help the hobbling young Tim, but Bob threw his money back in his face? What if the other Cratchits sat mute in fear of Bob as he said, “Bah! You don’t believe as I do, Mr. Scrooge! Sometimes you criticize my work! To me your money is tainted!”
Here’s what: You would have the situation now playing out at UNC-Chapel Hill.
UNC safety task forces release findings
Professors agree that conservatives are dumb; UNC-CH warmly welcomes “Sexuality Studies” and “Latina/o Studies” but balks (barks?) at Western Civilization; a lecturer discriminates; Duke holds a pro-terrorism conference; the School of the Arts does an “Enron” dance; and UNC-CH bravely takes rights and money from a three-member Christian group.
