Subject: FW: Spectator editorial Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 08:44:08 -0600 Message-ID: <BDD0A3EABE40F04A8C7200805EDE5A6A0219F4F8@PEPSI.uwec.edu> From: "Nowlan, Robert A." <RANOWLAN@uwec.edu>
Greetings, Colleagues:
Perhaps some member or members of sfpj who are not currently
working as professors (or teaching staff) might wish to respond to this
Spectator editorial. While it might seem to many that their argument
is perfectly reasonably balanced and fair, it altogether misses the
actual concrete political context in which these 'attacks' are currently
taking place, and of course it assumes that an 'unbiased' position is a
relatively clear-cut idea as well as one that is virtually always, for
that matter, the most ethically responsible. It ignores the
conservative 'bias' so often at least strongly implicit in the
(convenient) pretense of 'lack of bias', and the often greater
self-protective and even deviously manipulative possibilities of
maintaining a position that seems disinterested, that seems entirely
moderate, that seems clearly balanced right in the middle (according to
the prevailing ideological sense of what 'the middle' happens to be),
and that seems unconnected to any interest or commitment or agenda
(because it is in effect fine with keeping things essentially unchanged,
essentially the way they are-a classic definition of a conservative
position). In short, it runs the risk of protecting professors from
accountability for the positions they actually do maintain, support, and
advance-as well as students from engaging in uncensored, unfettered
critical exchange with professors unafraid to put their positions on the
line, to open them up to contestation, and to expect that they will need
to work to be accountable for their (inevitable) biases.
Best,
Bob Nowlan
-----Original Message-----
From: William H. Phillips [mailto:willphil@charter.net]
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2006 5:19 AM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: Spectator editorial
Home <http://www.spectatornews.com/home/> > Editorial/Opinion
<http://www.spectatornews.com/news/2006/01/30/EditorialOpinion/>
'Liberal' education
Attacks not the way to deal with biased professors
By: Spectator Staff <http://www.spectatornews.com/>
Issue date: 1/30/06 Section: Editorial/Opinion
<http://www.spectatornews.com/news/2006/01/30/EditorialOpinion/>
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The freedom to exchange ideas openly is an essential component of any
university community. Accordingly, professors shouldn't use their
position to propagate their own personal views or suppress those of
others. Ensuring the free exchange of ideas in the classroom, however,
should not involve spiteful, underhanded tactics.
Recently, a conservative University of California alumnus, Andrew Jones,
offered students $100 a class to document the lectures of professors who
push liberal views.
When informed that distributing course material without permission was
against school policy, Jones rescinded the monetary offer, though he
still plans to use any documentation he obtains from students in his
battle against "indoctrination by UCLA professors," according to an
Associated
Press article.
Political views, however, shouldn't matter if professors remain
professional, which would mean allowing for open ideological discussion
and withholding their own views completely in classes where ideological
leanings are irrelevant.
But Jones isn't just wrong about how he frames the issue. His tactics to
combat indoctrination, if it is occurring, are inappropriate and likely
to create more controversy than change.
His crusade is also a slap in the face to students, who should have the
ability to discern between legitimate points and political babble,
making them fully capable of withstanding "indoctrination."
But ideologically coercive professors should face consequences.
Administrators should take student complaints very seriously and be
prepared to act on them.
Professor evaluations, which usually feature general questions about
performance, should ask students directly about feeling intellectually
bullied. While tenured professors have earned their position and the
security it provides, they should be subject to consequences as well.
One of the purposes of a college education is to encourage free thought
- a concept people from all political affiliations can and should
support.