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
UW-Madison, where the Riesling wretch is Police Chief, is probably one of the country’s most glaring examples of a “police state” university.
Her police are a menace not only to students, but to every resident of Dane County, WI as well! They frequently exceed their jurisdictional limits, by making traffic stops beyond campus and otherwise harassing citizens who are not affiliated with UW!
Having no real violent crime issues to deal with on campus, her university police have time on their hands to “enforce” laws which do not exist, and to improperly issue misdemeanor charges for such “serious” crimes as being in buildings after very ambiguously posted “closing hours.
Interestingly enough, UWPD has never been able to solve any of the (fortunately few) murders which have ever taken place on its campus!
Under the guise of “academic freedom”. UW-Madison has been able to usurp broad legislative, judiciary, and executive powers, without having to ben bothered by such “annoyances” as due process.
The student who participated in (and may have helped to lead) the attack on the phi psi fraternity house at UVa was interviewed by the Washington Times. “The student who claimed to participate in the attack said he had no regrets despite the fact that the accuracy of Jackie’s story in Rolling Stone has come under significant doubt, including the name of the fraternity where the alleged attack occurred. Asked whether he felt at all bad about attacking the wrong fraternity, he showed no remorse and justified the attack on the broader woes of ‘social injustice.'” IMO our students need to hear as much about civil liberties, the presumption of innocence, the rule of law, and related matters as they do about campus sexual assault.
If that’s the same student who was interviewed before, the impression I got was that he was a sociopath who was simply using “social justice” as an excuse for destructive behavior engaged in for personal thrills. Probably not really reachable, but fortunately I suspect that particular type is fairly uncommon.
You may well be right, and perhaps my comment was unintentionally off topic. However, I am still concerned that our students are getting a very one-sided message, one that will not help them become good stewards of civil liberties in the future.
Also from the “Inside Higher Ed” article: “All of us who have been in officer-involved shootings know that an officer is given one if not two cycles of sleeping before being interviewed,” Riseling said. “We do that for cops. It’s the same type of psychology for sexual assault victims.”
This is a false comparison. In the case of a police-involved shooting, the policeman is a potential perpetrator, not a victim. Additionally, an accuser of sexual assault can wait years, speaking to many advisors before making the accusation. The trauma in such cases is in no way comparable.
Regarding the Wisconsin matter, at what point do the hearing folk become considered “agents of the police”? If a criminal complaint has already been filed and they work for the same university, why wouldn’t Maranda apply?
Dr. Johnson,
College women have been effectively demoted to minors. Sex with them is statutory rape.
If you wrote an article about life we’d all reach enghnitenmelt.
KC,
I’ve been mentioning this for over 20 years. Over 20 years ago I went through a kangaroo court in my college false allegation. It wasn’t as bad then, but several things happened that made it tilted against me – and specifically to your point:
1) Directly to your point (so slightly out of order) I was REQUIRED to show up and give testimony, without an attorney speaking for me (at the time they allowed him to sit next to me silently) – for which statements could have been used against me should this gone to a criminal court. Now it’s just codified across the country.
2) Everyone who investigated the allegation, sat on the hearing board, or who worked in the Student Affairs office had been through heavy feminist indoctrination. It was a vetting process whereby those that investigated, sat in judgement, or who oversaw the process had one mindset – the feminist “women don’t lie” mindset.
3) For instance : EVERYTHING pointed to my guilt.
If I was angry it was because my “right to have sex” was being questioned (almost no one used the word priviledge back then).
If I was scared it was because I was “caught”, not because my future was on the line.
If I was discombobulated / confused as to how this could have happened it was because I could not wrap my mind around the fact I had committed a crime etc etc.
In fact, one woman on my hearing board (a school nurse – there to add “medical expertise”) straight up told me that my calm demeanor and logical way of expressing myself showed my calculating & cold nature and made her think I was guilty.
I asked her if I was angry would that point to my guilt – she nodded. I asked her if I was scared would that point to my guilt – she nodded. Then I asked her what expressions of personality or emotion would indicate innocence and she snapped off that I was not there to question HER.
(realizing this was a lost cause – my attorney told me as much before we walked in – by the way they were handling my case) I then asked her : What would a woman who was lying about rape show or how would she act if she was a false accuser – and that set Ms. Holy-Avenger-Nurse off – smoldering angry eyes of “how dare you” and a refusal to give me an answer.
My point: They stack the deck with “true believers” or at least those who toe the line – the whole “investigative” process is there to validate the accuser.
4) The school appoints an investigator who is of the mindset mentioned above – and when you (read: me – I did this) try to run your own investigation to get testimony that might help you, you are threatened with being charged with “intimidating witnesses” and (the college equivalent of) “obstruction of justice”.
Meaning – don’t you dare find exculpatory evidence to bring forward – just trust us – we’re “experts”
And, KC, this was 20+ years ago – as I read here, and other sites, it has gotten much much worse.
The comment from Riseling is extremely troubling. One, maybe students should be warned about this possibility before they are questioned. Two, it further erodes the argument that campuses may use a lower standard of evidence, because what happens in these adjudications is less consequential.