Academic freedom: exit, far left

[Heracles 417]

Looks like Australia has the same issues in their colleges as the United States.

Academic freedom: exit, far left

Nigel Freitas

October 21, 2008

Have a different opinion? Think again. The debate is over. A highly politicised ideological bias exists in academia - one harmful to students, damaging to standards and which threatens intellectual diversity - according to the majority of submissions to the Senate's academic freedom inquiry.

In nearly all cases, this bias comes from one direction - the left. A prominent academic, Mervyn Bendle, in his submission says it "dominates research programs, publications and textbooks at all levels and therefore influences every aspect of education in Australia".

Pick any controversial issue today - Work Choices, anti-terror laws, Israel-Palestine, or climate change - and in academia these issues have been decided. There is only one accepted view on each - no debate is allowed.

Ask the Cardinal Newman Society at the University of Queensland. Earlier this year it had stalls outlining pregnancy-support options for women - a move that contradicted the student union's policy of safe, free abortion on demand. The Catholic student group was reprimanded, threatened with disaffiliation and faced formal disciplinary proceedings.

Heaven help anyone on campus, academic or student, who dares to question what Dr Bendle calls a "radical orthodoxy", characterised by "theories associated with neo-Marxism, postmodernism, feminism, radical environmentalism, anti-Americanism, anti-Christianity, and related ideologies".

Bendle argues this entrenched left-wing culture has its roots in the counterculture of the 1960s. Yesterday's radicals are today's establishment, and now they will tolerate no dissent. Resistance is futile. You will be indoctrinated.

No recent research has been conducted into the ideological leanings of Australian educators, but in the US a 1999 study found more than 70 per cent of academics identified as left wing, compared to only 15 per cent as conservative. In some humanities departments, conservatives are outnumbered by up to 30 to one. The situation is so bad the University of Colorado recently debated creating a "chair of conservative thought" in a desperate attempt to restore some balance.

The scarcity of conservative intellectuals explains the barrage of attacks that emanated from academia during almost the entire term of the former government. These criticisms were on a wide range of different issues, from immigration to industrial relations. Some were justified, yet were almost always from a critical left-wing perspective.

This lack of balance demonstrates the much-touted commitment to "diversity" mouthed by all academic institutions is only skin deep. Gender, ethnic and sexual diversity are all the rage, but intellectual diversity is ignored.

Many Australian educators are activists masquerading as academics, agitating for radical far-left causes well outside, and profoundly hostile to, the values of mainstream Australia.

One example is Damien Riggs, of the University of Adelaide, who heads an association of academics that seek to "expose and challenge white-race privilege in Australia and elsewhere". His area of interest is "what it means to speak as a white ####### person in a colonial nation".

Academics, like any other citizens, are perfectly entitled to their political opinions, however bizarre. The problem arises when these political views influence the content of their teaching.

Take the former education union president Pat Byrne who in 2005 boasted that so-called progressive educators "had succeeded in influencing curriculum development in schools, education departments and universities".

Then there are the hundreds of subjects in the humanities, most of which reflect the Marxist obsessions of their lecturers. One subject on tourism "explores travel through themes such as gender, class, race, imperialism, war and … sexuality". Another on design considers "how architecture perpetuates the social order of gender".

One former trainee teacher, Beccy Merzi, told the inquiry: "I became so fed up and disgusted by the continual barrage of criticism of mainstream values, the lack of focus on practical ways of teaching, and the continual focus on minority groups, postmodernism, gender, ####### and other studies that I abandoned my teaching degree. "

But it's not only the course content that is biased - it's lecturers' conduct. Submission after submission documented educators using their classrooms to promote their political views and belittling or marking down students who disagreed.

"I have been abused and mocked by a lecturer in front of others for refusing to acknowledge the 'genocide occurring in Lebanon' during the Israeli-Lebanese war," one student, Joshua Koonin, told the inquiry.

It's high time that educators learnt that the principles of academic freedom apply equally to students as they do to their lecturers.

Nigel Freitas is a Young Liberal and the director of the Make Education Fair Campaign.

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/10/20/1224351149797.html

Edited October 21, 2008 by Aficionado

[akdiver 3]

So what's your point??

[Heracles 417]

For one there should be some sort of fairness doctrine in the education system.

Teachers in colleges should keep their opinions to themselves and certainly not victimize any student they disagree with politically.

[akdiver 3]

For one there should be some sort of fairness doctrine in the education system.

As an adult, you're old enough to realize that life isn't fair.

Teachers in colleges should keep their opinions to themselves and certainly not victimize any student they disagree with politically.

Why not? It's good training for the real world. If students learn to keep their non-acceptable ideas to themselves in school, they will know to keep their non-acceptable ideas to themselves in the workplace. It's a good lesson to learn.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

What is the finding based on - complaint letters submitted to some sort of inquiry?

It doesn't surprised me that right-wingers are usually behind this sort of thing, though I don't think its really as outrageous as claimed.

To some respect you have to be fairly open-minded in academia, certainly in the Liberal Arts subjects which I think explains the identification with the ideological left. The problem as exemplified by some Conservatives is that their ideology is often black and white, and the "equality" they demand in those circles cannot exist without making their arguments the last word, as it were.

How can you discuss... say... English Literature from a Conservative view? Would such an approach not preclude a discussion of literary theories?

[HAL 9000 96]

What is the finding based on - complaint letters submitted to some sort of inquiry?

It doesn't surprised me that right-wingers are usually behind this sort of thing, though I don't think its really as outrageous as claimed.

To some respect you have to be fairly open-minded in academia, certainly in the Liberal Arts subjects which I think explains the identification with the ideological left. The problem as exemplified by some Conservatives is that their ideology is often black and white, and the "equality" they demand in those circles cannot exist without making their arguments the last word, as it were.

How can you discuss... say... English Literature from a Conservative view? Would such an approach not preclude a discussion of literary theories?

Perhaps a deeper analysis of how tenure is awarded or denied in US Academia in positions that typically skirt political perspectives would be needed now. All I can say now at this point is that some faculty members that challenge status quo politics aren't receiving tenure as, say, other professors. Before stereotyping, we'd need to consider each particular case.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

What is the finding based on - complaint letters submitted to some sort of inquiry?

It doesn't surprised me that right-wingers are usually behind this sort of thing, though I don't think its really as outrageous as claimed.

To some respect you have to be fairly open-minded in academia, certainly in the Liberal Arts subjects which I think explains the identification with the ideological left. The problem as exemplified by some Conservatives is that their ideology is often black and white, and the "equality" they demand in those circles cannot exist without making their arguments the last word, as it were.

How can you discuss... say... English Literature from a Conservative view? Would such an approach not preclude a discussion of literary theories?

Perhaps a deeper analysis of how tenure is awarded or denied in US Academia in positions that typically skirt political perspectives would be needed now. All I can say now at this point is that some faculty members that challenge status quo politics aren't receiving tenure as, say, other professors. Before stereotyping, we'd need to consider each particular case.

Well this is true, but as far as the OP article goes there isn't much specific evidence on offer.

[Peikko 1,575]

Gosh!

[Danno 1,228]

It is so pervasive that even Religious schools have lately installed "Speech codes", "free zones" and the like.

There are two ironies in all of this.

Those on the left either can't see that there is a problem with all this, or pretend not too.

Those on the Right actually hope it might change. ( not in your lifetime).

[msu17 0]

I agree that many colleges and academics are by nature more liberal. In addition, we are adults that have the CHOICE of where to go for higher education and which professors we choose to take classes from. If you aren't super liberal, don't go to berkley. If it becomes a matter of discrimination for tenure then it becomes an issue. If it stifles original thought then thats a problem, but as an issue on its own, I dont think its a huge concern.

[HAL 9000 96]

I agree that many colleges and academics are by nature more liberal. In addition, we are adults that have the CHOICE of where to go for higher education and which professors we choose to take classes from. If you aren't super liberal, don't go to berkley. If it becomes a matter of discrimination for tenure then it becomes an issue. If it stifles original thought then thats a problem, but as an issue on its own, I dont think its a huge concern.

Eeeeexactly.

And what professors have had largely publicized cases of discrimination based on ideology and tenure denials?

HINT: They're not exactly of the neo-con cut.

[Heracles 417]

I agree that many colleges and academics are by nature more liberal. In addition, we are adults that have the CHOICE of where to go for higher education and which professors we choose to take classes from. If you aren't super liberal, don't go to berkley. If it becomes a matter of discrimination for tenure then it becomes an issue. If it stifles original thought then thats a problem, but as an issue on its own, I dont think its a huge concern.

Yeah big adults someone is at 18. You obviously haven't seen the girls gone wild "Barely 18" promos at night..

The schools ideology, bias or philosophy is not the issue here. The issue is that students with opposing views are being punished and suppressed. Now if the table where reverse I'll bet $100K that liberals would be doing what they do best, kicking and screaming about it. The point of this article is not a :crying: I am being punished. It is to point out the blatant discrimination by the same people who claim to be "open-minded", "free-thinkers" and the opposite to those 'conservatives'. In other words they are full of ####.

Edited October 22, 2008 by Aficionado

[SteveLaura 0]

You obviously haven't seen the girls gone wild "Barely 18" promos at night..

Is that why you stay up so late?

[Heracles 417]

You obviously haven't seen the girls gone wild "Barely 18" promos at night..

Is that why you stay up so late?

The cable box seems to get 'stuck' on that channel.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I agree that many colleges and academics are by nature more liberal. In addition, we are adults that have the CHOICE of where to go for higher education and which professors we choose to take classes from. If you aren't super liberal, don't go to berkley. If it becomes a matter of discrimination for tenure then it becomes an issue. If it stifles original thought then thats a problem, but as an issue on its own, I dont think its a huge concern.

Yeah big adults someone is at 18. You obviously haven't seen the girls gone wild "Barely 18" promos at night..

The schools ideology, bias or philosophy is not the issue here. The issue is that students with opposing views are being punished and suppressed. Now if the table where reverse I'll bet $100K that liberals would be doing what they do best, kicking and screaming about it. The point of this article is not a :crying: I am being punished. It is to point out the blatant discrimination by the same people who claim to be "open-minded", "free-thinkers" and the opposite to those 'conservatives'. In other words they are full of ####.

I think its difficult to substantiate that without some specific examples. The faculties are the ones who decide what theories are taught as part of a given curriculum - so we can only really talk in generalities which I don't think is particularly useful. As I say you're going to run into situations in certain subjects (Literature is the only example I can think of) where a Conservative view lend itself to the material in any way.

It should also be pointed out perhaps that this applies largely, if not exclusively to humanities subjects which deal in opinions, rather than Empirical data collection.

You can't be open-minded if the response to the entire subject is to write it off as complete #######. The problem that I see with some of the complaints about this stuff is that the people making them are themselves not open-minded in the first place.