The National Academies Have Abandoned the Sciences
"The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently held an event titled: 'Structural Racism and Rigorous Models of Social Inequity.' The two-day conference seemed less of a workshop, as was advertised, and more of a struggle session against enemies of 'equity.' The main takeaway from this event was that we must implement critical race theory (CRT) into every facet of science. This conclusion was not drawn from inference. Throughout the conference, multiple speakers advocated explicitly for the use of critical race theory. By doing so, however, one must ask: Have the National Academies abandoned the sciences altogether?" - American Greatness, 7/3/22
Supreme Court Decision Advances Educational Freedom
"Last week, the Supreme Court delivered three decisions that have the Left in a snit of epic proportions. On Friday, the Court decided there is no constitutional right to an abortion, and threw Roe v. Wade into the trashcan. The prior day, the justices made clear that the Second Amendment protects the right to carry a handgun outside the home for self-defense. And on Tuesday, in Carson v. Makin, the Supremes asserted that if a state subsidizes private education, it cannot disqualify religious schools." - American Greatness, 7/3/22
Former Georgetown Tennis Coach Sentenced to More Than 2 Years in Varsity Blues Case
"A former Georgetown University head tennis coach who pleaded guilty last fall to accepting bribes to help prospective students gain admission to the school was sentenced Friday to more than two years in prison, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Massachusetts. The sentencing of the coach, Gordon Ernst, 54, of Chevy Chase, Md., and Falmouth, Mass., to 30 months represented the harshest punishment issued so far in the federal investigation known as Operation Varsity Blues, which has focused on the payment of bribes by wealthy parents in order to have their children admitted to elite colleges." - New York Times, 7/2/22
In trainings, Florida tells teachers that religion belongs in public life
"New civics training for Florida public school teachers comes with a dose of Christian dogma, some teachers say, and they worry that it also sanitizes history and promotes inaccuracies. Included in the training is the statement that it is a 'misconception' that 'the Founders desired strict separation of church and state.'" - Washington Post, 7/2/22
How UT-Austin Administrators Destroyed an Intellectual Diversity Initiative
"Universities no longer even maintain the pretense of dispassionate rational and free inquiry, focusing instead on a particularly toxic and frankly absurd form of 'social-justice' activism, increasingly even in the hard sciences. Why does this situation persist? Here, I can contribute to our understanding, having had a front-row seat to perhaps the most spectacular failure of a higher-education reform effort in recent memory: the 'Liberty Institute' at the University of Texas at Austin." - The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, 7/1/22
GW defends Thomas appointment amid calls for removal from law school
"George Washington University rejected calls to remove Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas from its law school faculty by students and others frustratedover the judge’s vote to overturn Roe v. Wade and his urging to reconsider other landmark civil rights cases. In a message to the campus this week, officials defended Thomas, who has lectured at the law school since 2011." - Washington Post, 7/1/22
Va. Community College System Board Pressured by Governor
"The board of the Virginia Community College System agreed Wednesday to add a representative of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration to the search committee for a new chancellor. The move came after Youngkin told board members to include his administration in the search process or resign, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. Youngkin has been pushing to be involved in the search for several months." - Inside Higher Ed, 7/1/22
Mills Becomes a Part of Northeastern
"Mills College officially becomes part of Northeastern University today. The merger was first announced last June, and it was opposed by some students and faculty at Mills. Current Mills students can graduate from Mills or transfer to Northeastern at no expense. Mills, historically a women’s college, will become 'gender inclusive.'" - Inside Higher Ed, 7/1/22
Repairing the Road for Returning Students
"To stabilize enrollment and ensure their long-term viability going forward, institutions of higher education must look beyond the declining pool of first-time, full-time learners and place their focus on the estimated 36 million students in the U.S. with some college credit but no degree. This is also a social and economic justice imperative at a time when an increasing number of new jobs require education or training beyond high school—yet individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately represented in low-wage career paths." - Inside Higher Ed, 7/1/22
Abortion Is a Higher-Ed Issue
"Let’s be clear: Abortion is a higher-ed issue. Most abortions in the U.S. are provided to women in their 20s, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women aged 20 to 24 accounted for 28 percent of abortions, while those aged 25 to 29 accounted for 29 percent. ... Abortion makes it possible for students to pursue, and complete, higher education. Research has shown that the 'most common reason' young people drop out of college is unplanned pregnancy." - Chronicle of Higher Education, 6/30/22
