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.…
The Sociology of the Academic Outrage Mob
The academy seems built for public controversy because professors are encouraged to question ideas and popular beliefs. It shouldn’t be surprising that academic outrage has a long history. In the…
Did You Know? Two British Reforms America Should Copy
Two recent British policy briefs on academic freedom and university reforms provide some broad suggestions applicable to colleges, British or otherwise. Policy Exchange, a center-right think tank, published “Academic Freedom…
How to Renew Traditional Historical Study in Graduate Schools
I’m sometimes asked why it is so difficult for PhD students of a conservative bent to survive and flourish in history graduate programs these days. It’s not enough to say…
Did You Know? Students, Faculty Punished for Speech on Social Media
Fordham University student Austin Tong has found himself in hot water over a protest picture on Instagram. In it, he posed with a gun to commemorate the 31st anniversary of…