The Shameful State of "Higher Education"

[Adam's Apple]

The Shame of Higher Education
by Walter E. Williams, Human Events
04/04/2007

Many of our nation's colleges and universities have become cesspools of indoctrination, intolerance, academic dishonesty and the new racism. In a March 1991 speech, Yale President Benno Schmidt warned, "The most serious problems of freedom of expression in our society today exist on our campuses. . . . The assumption seems to be that the purpose of education is to induce correct opinion rather than to search for wisdom and to liberate the mind."

Writing in the fall 2006 issue of Academic Questions, Luann Wright, in her article titled "Pernicious Politicization in Academe," documents academic dishonesty and indoctrination all too common today. Here are some of her findings:

for full article:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20099

 

[nuggetsoftruth]

that was damn interesting. Thanks!

 

[Vintij]

I dont see a problem with professors lecturing any way they want. College is the institution to bring out intellectual independance. No professor is going to stick to the rules of high school type education, especially when your main goal is to help students at this age, think for themselves for once. This has been working for hundreds of years.

As far as diversity, I dont know about that. Different ethnic groups are required to fill a quota at most colleges but in general, the majority stays the majority, white males and females. If someone does not get into a college because a minority took his spot, maybe they should donate more money or work there ass off so they can be in the top percent of students, not the bottom.

 

[Annie]

I dont see a problem with professors lecturing any way they want. College is the institution to bring out intellectual independance. No professor is going to stick to the rules of high school type education, especially when your main goal is to help students at this age, think for themselves for once. This has been working for hundreds of years.

As far as diversity, I dont know about that. Different ethnic groups are required to fill a quota at most colleges but in general, the majority stays the majority, white males and females. If someone does not get into a college because a minority took his spot, maybe they should donate more money or work there ass off so they can be in the top percent of students, not the bottom.

Did you read the article? The bolded is the problem. When it is required that students argue for a given position, (which may or not be their own); when they are required to show up for demonstrations, (they may or may not agree with), they are not being 'taught' they are being indoctrinated.

I attended 2 universities with liberal bias in the late 70's: University of Illiniois and University of Chicago. There was no doubt at either where the professors stood-I was a sociology and political science major. There was a difference though. At U of I, while most of the professors were amiable to allowing for difference of opinion, as long as well reasoned, two weren't. One required the class to march for bringing down the Shah. I refused and successfully argued with the department and chancellor that this would be infringing upon my rights as a citizen, to be forced to assemble with a group I didn't agree with. I was excused from that requirement. The professor though was allowed to drag along the rest of the 150 students or so.

At University of Chicago, just the exercise of arguing such would probably have earned me an 'A', but no professor there would have required such, so the opportunity would not have presented itself. They encouraged dissent from their views and any other view. Therein lies the difference between an education and attempted indoctrination.

 

[liberalogic]

The Shame of Higher Education
by Walter E. Williams, Human Events
04/04/2007

Many of our nation's colleges and universities have become cesspools of indoctrination, intolerance, academic dishonesty and the new racism. In a March 1991 speech, Yale President Benno Schmidt warned, "The most serious problems of freedom of expression in our society today exist on our campuses. . . . The assumption seems to be that the purpose of education is to induce correct opinion rather than to search for wisdom and to liberate the mind."

Writing in the fall 2006 issue of Academic Questions, Luann Wright, in her article titled "Pernicious Politicization in Academe," documents academic dishonesty and indoctrination all too common today. Here are some of her findings:

for full article:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20099

This was a very interesting article. His analysis of "diversity" is right on. Though, I do have to contest the extent of the liberal bias within universities. Requirements of marching in a protest or doing things like that are ridiculous but I go to a VERY liberal university and I've never once heard of such a thing.

Within the classroom, I wouldn't deny that there are professors out there who attempt to indoctrinate, but ultimately, it is the student's choice to believe or not to believe. Personally, I take every professor's approach as a method of analysis, one of many that I can include in my arsenal of thought. You also have to remember that most professors are not "teachers" in the conventional sense, but scholars who just so happen to teach and share their interpretations of their fields of study. Subjectivity is bound to creep in there somewhere when you're discussing your passion in life aloud in front of 250 people.

I've taken one class that I would consider "leftist" in the sense that it was an interpretation of American History through a leftist perspective. The professor, on the first day, was quite clear about where she stood and what the class was about. If you didn't like it, you had ample opportunity to leave. Other than that, I've heard some profs joke about president Bush in passing, but that's about it. Most professors actually go out of their way to remain fairly neutral.