Remembering Title IX Abuses
"Recently, Title IX has been in the news because of the Biden administration’s promised (and, as of yesterday, delivered) rejection of much-needed Trump-era reforms. As we are approaching the 50th anniversary of the statute, introduced as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, it is worth revisiting the history of Title IX and reviewing its often tragic legacy. Title IX was borne of a desire for equal rights in education. ... However, as with plenty of legislative history, the dubious story that followed is both frustrating and tragic." - The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, 6/24/22
Stop the Radical Civics Bill
"This racist indoctrination is being done at our oldest military academy to young people who have signed up to defend America. Given the Big Government Socialist values of the teachers’ unions, the schools of education, the educational bureaucracy, and the activists in the Biden administration, how could any Republican want to give them $6.1 billion to further indoctrinate young Americans? Call your House and Senate members and demand that they oppose and stop this unbelievably destructive civics bill – before it is too late." - The Tennessee Star, 6/24/22
Delaware moves forward with ‘ban the box’ legislation for college admissions
"The Delaware Senate pushed through a bill this month that would forbid the state’s public and private colleges from inquiring about applicants’ criminal histories. This is what’s known as 'ban the box' legislation. Often, such measures limit employers from asking about a criminal record on job applications, but they have gained ground with colleges in the last several years. Delaware’s proposal would permit colleges to ask about students’ criminal backgrounds once they were admitted so they can offer counseling or restrict participation in campus life. It also makes an exception for such offenses as stalking and sexual assault." - Higher Ed Dive, 6/24/22
What the Biden administration gets right on student debt
"The common thread across these efforts is the Department of Education’s use of existing authority to provide legally sound debt forgiveness. Unlike universal or income-tested cancellation, which would pose new and significant implementation barriers, these are forms of relief that the Department of Education knows how to realize and can work to improve for borrowers. It’s reckless to talk about broad cancellation without acknowledging what it would mean for President Biden’s executive action, if he does so, to be challenged in court. But that hasn’t stopped heavy pressure from mounting from some policymakers and advocates for the administration to do just that — blanket debt forgiveness." - The Hill, 6/24/22
President’s Departure Marks ‘Start of a New Day’
"On Monday, after a special meeting of the Board of Trustees, Piedmont University president James Mellichamp announced that he would retire once a successor is named. A few days later, his husband, Daniel Smith, resigned from his position as senior projects manager at the university. It was the culmination of a tough semester for Piedmont. Two rounds of unexpected budget cuts, faculty layoffs, a vote of no confidence, professors’ contracts hanging in limbo and high-profile resignations from Provost Daniel Silber and endowed professor Carson Webb left the private college in Demorest, Ga., reeling with uncertainty and frustration." - Inside Higher Ed, 6/24/22
Sweeping Title IX changes would shield trans students, abuse survivors
"On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the Biden administration proposed sweeping changes to the landmark law that would bar schools, colleges and universities from discriminating against transgender students, as the battle over transgender rights moves to the front lines of the culture war. The proposal would also amend the rules that govern how educational institutions investigate and resolve claims of sexual assault and sexual harassment." - Washington Post, 6/23/22
San Francisco School Board Votes to Return Elite High School to Merit-Based Admissions
"The San Francisco school board voted 4-3 Wednesday night to return Lowell High School to a merit-based admissions system, two years after it first switched to a lottery-based system. Beginning with freshman entering in fall 2023, test scores and grades will be used to admit students to Lowell, barring any other changes by the board, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The board first voted in favor of a switch to the lottery system in October 2020 because they said remote learning created a lack of academic data on which to base admissions decisions." - National Review, 6/23/22
Maryland university system won’t require SAT, ACT for admissions
"The University System of Maryland’s board of regents voted recently to pave the way for its 12 universities to remove the requirement for prospective students to provide their SAT or ACT scores for admission. Although the schools still have the autonomy to set their own admissions standards, Friday’s vote removes the language requiring them to consider test scores within their admissions practices." - Washington Post, 6/23/22
Ed Department strikes $6B settlement with students who attended for-profits
"The U.S. Department of Education agreed Wednesday to automatically forgive the federal student loans of roughly 200,000 borrowers to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that the agency delayed granting relief to students who were defrauded by their colleges. Under the terms of the Sweet v. Cardona settlement, the Ed Department will automatically forgive about $6 billion in student loans under the borrower defense to repayment regulation, which allows students to have their loans forgiven if their colleges misled them. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California will review the proposed settlement in July, according to the Project on Predatory Student Lending, one of the organizations providing legal representation for the students." - Higher Ed Dive, 6/23/22
After the Pandemic’s Dark Days, the Outlook for International Enrollments May Be Brightening
"American colleges are anticipating a pickup in international enrollments this fall, with two-thirds reporting an increase in overseas applicants, according to a new survey from the Institute of International Education. Sixty-five percent of colleges saw growth in applications from abroad for the 2022-23 academic year, while just 12 percent reported declines, the institute’s Spring 2022 Snapshot on International Educational Exchange found. In a snapshot survey conducted a year ago, 43 percent of institutions said international applications were up — and nearly as many, 38 percent, saw decreases." - Chronicle of Higher Education, 6/23/22
I am on the faculty at University of Illinois. Here the faculty senate worked feverishly to prevent formation of an institute: The Academy for Capitalism and Limited Government, which would have been a great boon to a university that has been downsizing in order to cope with the loss of revenue from the state. The institute was blocked, and so the organization went for the more limited objective of forming a Foundation (the ACLG Foundation). However, the faculty were unhappy with the fact that the foundation was too closely associated with the U of I Foundation (which oversees funding from external donors). They then voted to sever all connections between ACLG Foundation and the U of I Foundation (which is itself not even a part of the university). Injected into the debate was the fact that the new ACLG president once worked for the Koch foundation, and the New Yorker article was circulated to members of the senate. The official criticism of ACLG was that they had an ideological mission. When it was pointed out that we had centers, institutes, and COLLEGES who explicitly embraced left-wing causes as central to their missions and who were funded by the Ford Foundation, this was declared irrelevant to the issue at hand. Some of us claimed that we should cherish what (on our campus) is a minority viewpoint and that we sorely need the funds. The Senate declared its objectivity, claiming that the ACLG had behaved in underhanded ways and that their ideological intentions were inconsistent WITH FREE AND OPEN DISCOURSE! Most of the materials related to the debate are in the public domain (on the Senate website and in the local News-Gazette), and emails can be obtained through the freedom of information act. I’d love to see a national spotlight shown in this issue.
The fact that the grant is being given to a state funded university from Florida is suspect. Florida as a state, has a terrible reputation, going back to the 2000 election of being right-leaning, if not in cahoots with the republican national agenda. To establish a regime of right leaning, Koch defending faculty at one of the most prestigious public universities in the state is not pure – doesn’t pass the sniff test in the least!!!
I am not convinced that my alma mater has cast aside its academic integrity by accepting the grant from the Koch Foundation. Clearly there there is a divergence of views along the thought spectrum of political and economic analysis as represented by a mosaic of nascent student views, faculty opinion and the experience of the Koch family. Any group which supports individual initiative, independent thought and enterprise will not compromise open and honest dialog about competing ideas. The Koch family recognizes and respects all the rights inherent in our open and democratic society.
Barby Barone
B.A., 1969 M.S., 1970
Goodness. As a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, James Piereson’s job itself is at least partially funded by Koch money. I wonder why he is forgetting to mention that?
Come on now, Jim. You know quite well that the conditions on the FSU grant are extreme, and are in no way typical for grants to universities of this type. Why are you telling people otherwise? At least be honest with the folks when you’re shilling for the bosses.
And Jim, don’t bother saying someone else (pas moi!) is getting that money. Money is fungible at Manhatten, just like it is everywhere else.
P.S. @ Robert Paquette: You should have been a little clearer that YOU and your organization were the recipient of Koch money.
Ron 1311,
great comment. Liberals are often the embarassed to be rich category which makes you wonder why they keep working and can never be rich enough, ie Gates or Buffet. Although neither one of them are too active in politics they do supposedly lean to the left. While I admire some of their charitable efforts, in comparison to their actual wealth their charitable efforts are a small amount percentage wise.
Of course many of the super rich don’t like competion either so will give to those who will put the most roadblocks in the way of their competion which liberals and the Democratic party do either knowingly or unwittingly, but the result is the same. We talk about the rich making over a 100 or 200 thousand a year but not about the ones making over a million dollars a year or the super billionaires who are giving Obama and the Democratic party millions in campaign donations?
Ryan,
For your statement to be proven, you would need to provide evidence of causality between the two statements and evidence that the “integrity” of education was being damaged. At best, it is a logical fallacy. By the way, it should be affecting not effecting.
Thanks
To David in Dallas – when charity is forced it is no longer charity – it is tyranny.
When Mark Twain was asked if Standard Oil’s money was tainted, his reply was along the lines of, “It’s twice tainted – taint yours and taint mine.”
No one has any right to take property that belongs to someone else – it’s called stealing. As for the Koch’s – to see that in context look at my comment #3 above.
This article PROVES the grant is effecting the hiring practices of the school and thereby PROVES the point that the Kochs are damaging the integrity of education in America.
The Koch brothers scare me as does the selfish attitude that is creaping to too many corners of American society.
If an individual has been fortunate to become obscenely wealthy, as these two men have, then they DO owe some of it to the country that provided them the opportunity to a life of luxury.
Or is their motto “Let them eat cake”?
I went to FSU in the early 90’s and this grad student Jim Kuypers tried to flunk me out because I had a few good things to say about Ronald Reagan. Donna Nudd and judy Vogt were two “professors” that were so nutty it is amazing they could work anywhere but a Lilith Fair concert. In regards to just about anything but hard science our universities are worthless “gay rights” propaganda machines. I learned a lot in Tallahassee in spite of my teachers.
I went to FSU in the early 90’s and this grad student Jim Kuypers tried to flunk me out because I had a few good things to say about Ronald Reagan. Donna Nudd and judy Vogt were two “professors” that were so nutty it is amazing they could work anywhere but a Lilith Fair concert. In regards to just about anything but hard science our universities are worthless “gay rights” propaganda machines. I learned a lot in Tallahassee in spite of my teachers.
Actually Ron1311, you left out, 4) not easily led around by the nose by kindergarten level propaganda… I bet you still believe in the hoax of man made global warming.
I have a hard time understanding the Koch Heads.
There is something sinister about a wealthy person creating institutions to advance his or her political and economic views?
What is different about what the Kochs do compared to George Soros is unclear to me.
The only main difference I can see is that the Kochs became rich by creating genuine businesses and jobs, while Soros got rich by being a brilliant speculator, a parasitic occupation.
I figure that explains the ideology of both. Kochs have respect for the rich because they view the rich as people like themselves who have actually created wealth for society.
Soros views the rich as parasites, understandable since the rich person he is most familiar with his himself.
I’ve always thought that the only reasons to side with Republicans were 1. you’re rich (i.e., Kochs), 2. you think you’re going to get rich or 3. you’re not very bright.
This list proves at least one of the three.
Gnirol –
congratulations on taking pleasure in such a thing. as a member of the brain washed daddy state smarmy and hypocritical progressive left, i’m sure you see nothing wrong with slandering people, vilifying your opponent personally and not on the issues, all while wearing your “tolerance” snuggy to bed every night. luckily, most of the sane world easily observes your ideological double standard, and that is why “progressive”, notwithstanding their many university degrees and loud voices, remain a sorry 15% voting block. have a nice day in obscurity. that makes me smile….
When your adversaries scream, it is a good sign that your measures have been effective.
Considering all the trouble you went to, to write this, I guess the left wing is becoming effective on this front, and that makes me smile contentedly. Thank you for providing the opportunity.
The Left has long known that demonization of your enemy is much more effective if you can put a face to it; preferably a face that’s already not too popular. In the past, they demonized Bork, Gingrich, Bush/Cheney, and Palin. They tried to do it to Limbaugh, but it wasn’t effective. So apparently the bogeyman of the day are these minor players named Koch. The Left will keep it up until a more effective target appears on the horizon. Too bad for them that Palin isn’t running.
I think one has to remember that the Left are always looking for an enemy to energize their base. The biased American Media are more then willing to carry the Left’s hate agenda. The Koch Brothers are the latest incarnation of this strategy.
PLEASE READ THIS:
This is more dirty politics from the Democrat party left – George Soros and other pro-Democrat billionaires poison the political atmosphere through a layered web of organizations, which taint much of our media, and educational institutions, with monies approaching the hundreds of millions of dollars every year – and the Democrats (that’s the real issue here – party not persuasion) scream at the Koch’s relatively small influence?
The hypocrisy is stunning, just stunning.
I’m a member of a well known Tea Party group, and I can tell you right now that I never even heard of the Koch brothers before the New Yorker article. I’d love to see a donation from them since our bank account is little or nothing since we depend on very small donations from individual members. How unlike the phony grass roots organizations set up by the Democrats which not only rake in millions from donors but get grants from the GOVERNMENT as well!
But the big difference between our organization and the Democrat organizations is that we really are grass roots and we truly believe in what we are doing. No one is driving around BMW’s at the groups expense as I’ve seen with the head of Democrat organizations – they do it through love of money. This was exemplified though Air America radio which in the end was nothing more than an organization devoted to separating donors from dollars which was then put into the pockets of the people who ran the organization. That’s the Democrat playbook – greed!
And the Democrats get away with it through an almost total and complete control over the traditional media – which has no problem with lies and manipulation to get what it wants. Until we saw the Fox articles on the connections of major media to Soros organizations there was no way to comprehend why these very public companies were biased in favor of the less than 20% of Americans who call themselves liberal, rather than the 60% who identify themselves as conservative. How to understand that, when the object is ratings, sales and ultimately money? The answer turned out to be money again – the Soros taint is everywhere today, and we won’t get away from it until that hateful, evil man finally goes away. One wonders why he hates his adopted country so much. But I digress…
Ultimately, we in the Tea party are confident that the American people will recognize the the lies, cheating and manipulation from the Democrat left for what it is. The assault on the Koch Brothers is truly a side show. Since the Koch’s have little or nothing to do with the Tea Party,even assuming that the Democrats get their way, it won’t make a bit of difference. But, I doubt making them go away is the point – it has more to do with making an example so that others who might contemplate the same thing will not get involved. Just like what the Democrats have done to Sarah Palin, and are doing to Republican candidates for President.
What hateful people Democrats are!
PLEASE READ THIS:
This is more dirty politics from the Democrat party left – George Soros and other pro-Democrat billionaires poison the political atmosphere through a layered web of organizations, which taint much of our media, and educational institutions, with monies approaching the hundreds of millions of dollars every year – and the Democrats (that’s the real issue here – party not persuasion) scream at the Koch’s relatively small influence?
The hypocrisy is stunning, just stunning.
I’m a member of a well known Tea Party group, and I can tell you right now that I never even heard of the Koch brothers before the New Yorker article. I’d love to see a donation from them since our bank account is little or nothing since we depend on very small donations from individual members. How unlike the phony grass roots organizations set up by the Democrats which not only rake in millions from donors but get grants from the GOVERNMENT as well!
But the big difference between our organization and the Democrat organizations is that we really are grass roots and we truly believe in what we are doing. No one is driving around BMW’s at the groups expense as I’ve seen with the head of Democrat organizations – they do it through love of money. This was exemplified though Air America radio which in the end was nothing more than an organization devoted to separating donors from dollars which was then put into the pockets of the people who ran the organization. That’s the Democrat playbook – greed!
And the Democrats get away with it through an almost total and complete control over the traditional media – which has no problem with lies and manipulation to get what it wants. Until we saw the Fox articles on the connections of major media to Soros organizations there was no way to comprehend why these very public companies were biased in favor of the less than 20% of Americans who call themselves liberal, rather than the 60% who identify themselves as conservative. How to understand that, when the object is ratings, sales and ultimately money? The answer turned out to be money again – the Soros taint is everywhere today, and we won’t get away from it until that hateful, evil man finally goes away. One wonders why he hates his adopted country so much. But I digress…
Ultimately, we in the Tea party are confident that the American people will recognize the the lies, cheating and manipulation from the Democrat left for what it is. The assault on the Koch Brothers is truly a side show. Since the Koch’s have little or nothing to do with the Tea Party,even assuming that the Democrats get their way, it won’t make a bit of difference. But, I doubt making them go away is the point – it has more to do with making an example so that others who might contemplate the same thing will not get involved. Just like what the Democrats have done to Sarah Palin, and are doing to Republican candidates for President.
What hateful people Democrats are!
The lefts’ cynical jihad against the Koch brothers is designed to deflect attention from the massive, insidious Marxist influence of George Soros.
I’m in Tallahassee and the only people who care about this are in the St. Pete Times newsroom and the usual suspects in the left-wing media.
The left goes into a frenzy about the Koch brothers who are supposedly using their money to fund what they like and promote their own ideas. I see this not only in various articles and on various blogs but it is a frequent reference on some of my liberal Facebook friends’ pages.
George Soros? Oh, yeah, he was a utility infielder on the late forties St. Louis Browns.
That Jim Piereson felt it necessary to compose such an eloquent defense of the extraordinary generosity of the Koch Brothers speaks to the strangle-hold that the activist left has on the academic life of the modern college campus. Fortunately, the leadership at Florida State University showed a backbone that is missing from far too many administrative time-servers. The problem, in my view, is far worse at elite liberal arts colleges than at state universities.
I might add that thanks to the Charles Koch Charitable Foundation more than seventy gifted students from Hamilton College and the University of Rochester participated in a two-semester program that intensively studied the works of Friedrich Hayek, including the cover-to-cover reading of The Constitution of Liberty. Imagine that! I should add that these clusters met off campus and were administered by the independent Alexander Hamilton Institute.