AFSA Week in Review
The week's top news, views and other higher-ed reform highlights
AFSA HIGHLIGHTS
Furman Student Newspaper Survey Shows Social Impact of Political Divisions The Furman Free Speech Alliance. Furman’s student newspaper conducted a “Presidential Election Sentiments Survey” prior to the 2024 Election. The survey revealed that while the majority of Republican students reported a degree of willingness to be friends with people who voted differently than them this election, “almost half” of Democrats showed unwillingness to be friends across party lines.
Alumni Are Taking Action at Macalester College By Bobby Ramkissoon at The Fire.org. Alumni at Macalester College are making big moves to promote free expression at their alma mater.
Harvard Crimson Urges Campus Conservatives to Come Out of Hiding Sean Paige writing in Alma Matters. Harvard’s student newspaper, The Crimson, chided the school’s non-liberals for allegedly cloistering themselves away in cliquish social clubs, in a snarky editorial that drew a snarky response.
Jefferson Council President Joel Gardner’s Letter to UVA’s Board of Visitors Joel Gardner posting on Jeffersoncouncil.org. Jefferson Council President Joel Garner shares concerns with UVA’s Board of Visitors about further erosion of the school’s Honor System.
Prof Blows The Whistle On Religious Studies Blind Spot at ASU Sean Paige writing for Alma Matters. ASU's Religious Studies Department Teaches Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and even Witchcraft. Just not Christianity.
UVA student reported for wearing ‘Make America Christian Again’ hat The College Fix. A student at the University of Virginia was recently informed that someone had reported him to the school’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights. His alleged offense? Wearing a hat which reads “Make America Christian Again.”
The Quintessential Marketplace of Ideas?: Current Free Speech Issues on University Campus Last Friday, UNC AFSA co-sponsored the First Amendment Law Review’s annual Symposium, The Quintessential Marketplace of Ideas?: Current Free Speech Issues on University Campus, at the Carolina Club. The event featured panel discussions on student speech and protest, faculty speech and academic freedom, and institutional speech and administrative challenges.
For those who missed the event, a recording is available on YouTube:
NEWS
The National Association of Scholars Welcomes Linda McMahon’s Nomination to Serve as Education Secretary This statement, republished by Minding the Campus, was originally published by the National Association of Scholars on Nov. 20, 2024.
University System of Georgia curbs DEI, adopts institutional neutrality, strengthens First Amendment rights in new changes Elad Vaida for Campus Reform. The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents has adopted a swath of changes to fight back against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology and to strengthen academic integrity across its campuses.
University of Michigan Board of Regents targets DEI office for ‘defunding’ or major changes, faculty senate freaks out Elad Vaida writing for Campus Reform. The University of Michigan’s Board of Regents is planning to eliminate or drastically change the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office at the school.
Colleges raking in millions in federal dollars hold their breath as Trump vows to shake up US education Yael Halon on Fox News. Billions of American taxpayer dollars have helped fund many of the colleges and universities at the center of 'woke' DEI initiatives and campus protests.
It’s becoming easier to get into many colleges Jon Marcus for The Washington Post. Despite common perception, acceptance rates are going up.
VIEWS
That’s Why I Gave Up Tenure Nate Tenhundfeld writing in Inquisitive. Academia had become a business, and we were being judged on quantity rather than quality.
The Fall of the American Association of University Professors Greg Lukianoff writing on the FIRE.org website. Before accusing FIRE of dishonesty, partisanship, and ideological capture, the AAUP should look in the mirror.
After the Encampments Joseph M. Knippenberg for the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. An argument for getting back to what matters most on college campuses.
The Economics of Political Correctness Roland A Fryer writing for The Manhattan Institute. Scholars need incentives to tell the truth, not to hide it and promote socially acceptable ideas.
Colleges and the Dumbing Down of America Richard Vedder writing on Minding the Campus. Like many Americans, I am appalled by the prevailing Woke Supremacy at many American colleges that disdains intellectual diversity and lively debate. I deplore anti-Semitism and the lack of civility and respect for fellow students exhibited by a campus cancel culture. I deplore the waste and administrative bloat. But the biggest deficiency is often hidden: our students are not working anywhere near their intellectual capacity and the colleges are doing nothing to reverse that. Already victimized by a K-12 system that does not prioritize learning and discovery, students are further disadvantaged by a similar mindset at the college level.
Yale Students: We’re Jealous of Our Conservative Peers An anonymous editorial published on “Publius.” "Put through a gauntlet of ideological opposition, conservative students at Yale are met with the need to more deftly articulate their opinions. For liberal students, throwing out broad, sweeping statements like “healthcare is a human right” in discussion sections is unlikely to provoke debate. They can get away with the minimal nuance that accompanies those buzzwords and slogans more commonly accepted within the Yale political orthodoxy.”
I Saw How Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service Coddles Violent Anti-Semites—Who Are Plotting to Transform US Policy From Within Henrik Schildt in The Washington Free Beacon. The school, which is a direct pipeline to Washington’s diplomatic and national security establishments, has become a hotbed of virulent anti-Semitism as well as anti-Western sentiment
PROF. JENKINS: How you can help 'de-wokify' your campus Rob Jenkins writing for Campus Reform. The Left’s worldview is being repudiated across the country, while yours is gaining momentum. If you’re still in the closet as a campus conservative, it’s time to come out.
When did the academy become illiberal? Bret Stephens writing for SAPIR. The broader argument for universities has become harder to make in recent years.
VIDS
Last Friday, UNC AFSA co-sponsored the First Amendment Law Review’s annual Symposium, The Quintessential Marketplace of Ideas?: Current Free Speech Issues on University Campus, at the Carolina Club. The event featured panel discussions on student speech and protest, faculty speech and academic freedom, and institutional speech and administrative challenges.
For those who missed the event, a recording is available on YouTube.
RESOURCES
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Civil Conversations About Hate Crimes and Hoaxes: How UVA Can be an Intellectual Diversity Leader
The Jefferson Council looks forward to having Wilfred Reilly on Grounds this December 5 for “Civil Conversations About Hate Crimes and Hoaxes: How UVA Can be an Intellectual Diversity Leader.” Reilly is a distinguished author, speaker, and advocate for true intellectual diversity on US college campuses, including at Kentucky State, where he serves as associate professor of political science. We look forward to hearing his insights on the compelling need for a return to civil discourse, followed by a time of Q&A from UVA students, faculty, administration, and TJC members. The event will be co-hosted in partnership with Young Americans for Freedom. Find more details and registration information here.
Firing Line Debate: Is Merit a Valid Measure?
On December 3, the Buckley Institute is hosting a Firing Line debate on merit in hiring and college admissions with Yale Professor Daniel Markovits and the Center for Equal Opportunity's Devon Westhill. Get more details and register here.