The AFSA Weekly Review

The week's top news, views and other higher-ed reform highlights

AFSA HIGHLIGHTS

Inclusion Requires Free Speech Princetonians for Free Speech. “Multiple perspectives critical thinking” can be defined as considering various sources and viewpoints to gain a deeper understanding of complex issues and help reach considered judgments. Learning from a Princeton classmate how to do that, and how wisdom comes from the airing of competing views, changed my life.

Yale Free Speech Survey Suggests Change Is In The Air The Alma Matters Substack Page. The Buckley Institute’s second annual Yale Undergraduate Student Survey was just released. And silver lining-seekers will find a lot to applaud in the results. Major problems persist but free speech isn’t a neglected topic on campus any longer, due in part to Yale administrators who focus on it more and in part to students who appear to be picking up on those queues.

Furman’s New Strategic Plan Features Failed DEI Policies The Furman Free Speech Alliance. Furman President Elizabeth Davis recently rolled out “FUture Focused,” the school’s strategic plan for 2024-2029. No one should expect too much from a big strategic document like this, but even still, we're disappointed. Setting aside the fact that the entire thing reads like a focus group selected each word, there are some glaring problems with President Davis’ plans for the future.

A Masochistic Majority of Students Want DEI Training Made Mandatory The Alma Matters Substack Page. Colleges and corporations may be fleeing DEI indoctrination in droves, but students only object to making it mandatory

NEWS

US House to vote on antisemitism bill amid campus protests over the war in Gaza Associated Press. The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote this week on a bipartisan bill aimed at cracking down on antisemitism on college campuses amid a wave of pro-Palestinian protests. While it’s expected to pass, the resolution will likely expose the split between moderate and progressive Democrats over the war in Gaza.

Academic freedom under strain as one-third of faculty report growing restrictions, national survey finds Diverse Education. A new study reveals a concerning decline in academic freedom across U.S. higher education, with more than one-third of faculty members reporting increased constraints on their ability to teach, conduct research, and speak freely compared to six or seven years ago. More reporting on this can be found here.

ASU professor files lawsuit over 'inclusive communities' faculty training he says is discriminatory KJZZ.org. Attorneys for the Arizona Board of Regents want the state court of appeals to rule an Arizona State University professor has no legal right to sue for faculty training he alleges is discriminatory. At issue is training called “inclusive communities.” The Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank representing ASU professor Owen Anderson, claims the university required him to take the course, which the Goldwater Institute argues pushes an ideology of guilt in violation of a state law that bars public entities from engaging in training that presents blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity or sex. Anderson’s main accusation is that ASU’s training pushes the concept that white people and straight people are inherently racist or oppressive. Click here to read Dr. Anderson’s comments regarding this news story and his court case.

How ‘administrative bloat’ swells staffing, costs at Massachusetts colleges The Boston Globe. Universities say the boom in professional staff is necessary to keep schools running, even when it outpaces faculty. But how much is too much?

Professor walks back calling it ‘karma’ after Trump-supporting actor loses home in LA wildfires The College Fix. University of Missouri Professor Karen Piper touted the destruction of Trump-supporting actor James Woods’ house in the California wildfires, calling it “karma” in an X post on Tuesday, before walking it back in a statement to The College Fix, calling it a “joke.”

Wayne State asks ‘employer partners’ to make ‘DEI pledge’ The College Fix. Employers looking to hire through Wayne State University are asked to sign a “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pledge.” But the school says it’s “voluntary,” so that makes it okay.

Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Walberg Calls Out Biden-Harris for Toothless Antisemitism Agreements Press Release. Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) issued a statement on recent Title VI antisemitism complaints being met with toothless agreements in an obvious effort to shield universities from real accountability by the incoming Trump administration.

A looming 'demographic cliff': Fewer college students and ultimately fewer graduates NPR. While the falloff in the number of 18-year-olds has been largely discussed in terms of its effects on colleges and students, the implications are much broader.

Dartmouth adopts ‘institutional restraint’ policy, outlines procedures for department statements The Dartmouth. The new policy prohibits the College from making institutional statements about issues not related to Dartmouth’s academic mission and outlines procedures for departmental statements.

Fate of students arrested in Stanford protest is in limbo seven months later The Palo Alto Daily Post. The 13 students who were arrested in June for allegedly breaking into the Stanford president's office and spray painting the building in a protest are in a state of limbo, because it is unknown if they will face criminal charges or not. Stanford said in October that his police officers sent the case to Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen to consider prosecuting the protesters. But Rosen's spokesperson Sean Webby has repeatedly said the DA hasn't received the case, so Rosen can't file charges or make any comment.

VIEWS

UNC's School of Civic Life and Leadership will give students an intellectually rich education Inside Higher Ed. Inside Higher Ed’s recent story on UNC-Chapel Hill’s pioneering School of Civic Life and Leadership missed a golden opportunity to explain to your readers what the new pro-democracy school is teaching, how it’s teaching, and what its students think of it.

Victimhood U: colleges’ leftist brainwashing is making young Americans miserable The New York Post. A new documentary called “The Coddling of the American Mind” persuasively suggests that today, young people are anxious and depressed because “adults” at their schools brainwashed them.

VMI’s integrity is at stake Real Clear Defense. A call for accountability after alumni money is used to hire a professor who supported Hamas.

Higher-Ed Reform’s Coming of Age The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. In North Carolina and elsewhere, policymakers hoping to revive universities must clarify their goals.

Zionist Professors Quitting Universities Are Handing Anti-Semites a Victory Minding the Campus. The fact of the matter is that in today’s climate, almost no institutions of higher education are supportive or welcoming of Zionist professors. But professors leaving their positions in academia is not the solution; it is exactly what protesters hope will happen. Stepping away from higher education is a surrender to anti-Semitism and the larger academic and Jewish communities do not benefit from such behavior.

How to Storm and Save an Ivory Tower Real Clear Books and Culture. Juliana Geran Pilon reviews Richard Corcoran's “Storming the Ivory Tower: How a Florida College Became Ground Zero in the Struggle to Take Back Our Campuses.”

Why Are Our Campuses Seething with Antisemitism? The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. The short answer? Because that’s the way radical professors want it.

Dragons, Opportunities, and the Year Ahead for HxA Free the Inquiry Substack Page. A New Year's message from Heteredox Academy President John Tomasi.

REPORTS AND RESOURCES

Ending Conformity on the Quad How Trustees Can Bring Viewpoint Diversity Back to Their Universities The Manhattan Institute. There is no issue more important for higher education than ensuring the free exchange of ideas. Acquiring and teaching knowledge requires the ability to expose facts, theories, and beliefs to intense investigation without political pressure. Unfortunately, the American campus is in danger of lapsing into a rigidly partisan mentality. In many places, it has already done so; at times, it seems that the ideological bias of higher education is so great that its institutions are beyond reforming. Yet it is also a time for hope; awareness of the problem is growing, and the political zeitgeist may be shifting.

Is DEI Shaping Inclusivity or Division on College Campuses? College Rover. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have become a staple in educational settings, from middle schools to college campuses - but are they fostering genuine inclusion or sparking division? As these programs expand, so do questions about their influence on students' beliefs and campus experiences. To understand the effects, we surveyed 1,000 American college students, exploring whether DEI programs build bridges or inadvertently widen divides.

Academic Freedom In Focus at the University of Chicago UChicago Magazine. In the Chicago Forum’s second year, a landmark gift and an expanding slate of activities.