We Need to Talk About Bruce
Nowhere is “cancel culture” more deeply entrenched than in academia; it was commonplace there long before the actual phrase was coined to describe the current social media phenomenon. The gears…
Diversity Über Alles: Science Is Threatened by Identity Politics
I have worked in academic science my entire life and I have never seen any sign of racism, systemic or otherwise. On the contrary, I have seen people go to…
Blueprint for Reform: Free Speech on Campus
The “Blueprint for Reform: Free Speech on Campus” is a policy guide for state legislators and university trustees. It underscores the essential role of free expression in higher education, advocating…
Of Academic Freedom and False Alarms
It has been a very strange year. Three weeks ago I opened my email to find an unsolicited email from a lawyer, asking if I needed help. Odd, I thought,…
Blueprint for Reform: Institutional Neutrality
Blueprint for Reform: Institutional Neutrality is a policy guide for state legislators and university trustees. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining political and ideological neutrality in higher education institutions to…
Woke Me When It’s Over
Many, perhaps most, Americans are just now waking up to the meaning of “woke.” What does “woke” have to do with looting, bricks, fires, and blood in Portland, Seattle, and…
Did You Know? 13 UNC Entities Push Out Diversity Statements
After the killing of George Floyd and the protests that followed, several departments at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have released statements on their intention to fight…
Did You Know? Demands to Change the ‘Tar Heel’ Name
On July 13, a dozen people from the Union Soldier Campaign protested to get leaders of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to drop “Tar Heels” as the…
The Power of Denunciation in Political Science
A recent case of attempted silencing and censorship has roiled the field of political science. Two gender studies professors, Allison Howell of Rutgers University and Melanie Richter-Montpetit of the University…
Whither Race-Neutrality in California?
In 1996, California voters approved Proposition 209 by an impressive 56-to-44 percent majority. Prop 209 amended the state’s constitution to prohibit the granting of preferences based on race or gender.…