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
Here’s a Thanksgiving take on this. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony first began in 1628, it was illegal to follow any religion other than the Congregationalism of the Puritans. There were of course disagreements, and among them was the separatism of the Pilgrims as opposed to the nonseparatism of the Puritans who came a few years later. (“Separatism” refers to the Congregationalists’ relationship to the Church of England.) One thing was sure, though, that competing religions were not permitted. Thus, in the 1600s and into the early 1700s the Quaker and Baptist faiths were illegal, and several proselytizing Quakers were hung.
Today’s campuses inherit the moral indignation of the early Puritans. It isn’t just capitalism that inherited the Puritan spirit, as Max Weber claimed. Today’s campuses see themselves as cities upon hills, as institutions that set forth the one true morality: Diversity is the highest good; racism is the greatest evil; income inequality is the second greatest evil; gays must get married; anyone who disagrees must be put in stocks; global warming is the hellfire in which those who benefit from capitalism will burn for eternity.
The rigid, insipid version of today’s campuses as far removed from liberal arts and from “liberalism” in any of its meanings as were the witch trials in Salem.
These students did not arrive with these ideas – be very clear here – these are faculty driven ideas.
Anonymous reporting : absolutely NO accountability for accusations made.
More [x] “studies” : gee – jobs for faculty and control of each dept. Is this going to “empower students” or faculty and admin?
This one is truly astonishing – it’s straight out of Mao’ism and Stalin’s days in the USSR:
“One confession of racism by a faculty member each week ”
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
These students are applying Marxist, Stalinist, and Maoist theory to their daily lives. They have learned these subjects well and are vigorously applying theory to their local situation. They have even done it in their spare time.
I think most of their teachers are sympathetic.
This shows that today’s students are not lazy and ignorant. They learn and apply learning well when they are interested in the subject and have some practical incentive such as the lust for power.
So? This stuff was already there, when I was in school, at every level they made it clear there was no such thing as “free speech” and they could control speech, dress and anything else they wanted.
It makes sense that the buyers of a service, paying a significant amount of money, can dictate the rules. That is the very basis of democracy, people gathering together and making demands.
If these schools don’t like it, they can stop taking federal loan money and stop charging these students, and go do something else to earn a living.
Shrug,
The interactions between a student and a college or university are unlike the relationship of a typical buyer and seller in at least two ways. One, the majority of students don’t pay for a large chunk of the cost of their education (this is particularly so at public universities). Two, a buyer may have quite a bit of information about the product or service which he is purchasing. Almost by definition, most students are ignorant of a good deal of the subject matter of their classes (why else would they be taking those classes). There may be other differences.
So you are basically acceding to all the worst quasi-fascist movement on campus.
All of these demands only serve the One True Demand. One Demand to Rule Them All.
“We demand an Oompa Loompa and we demand it NOW!”