2008 Woodie Awards
Classes meet politics
By: Mike Ellis
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Voices
Why is there a select few conservatives at CMU who seem to have such a problem with a teacher who is philosophically different from them? Suggestions of professors grading on some kind of a liberal curve pop up on this paper's Web site frequently.
If your teacher tells you something you disagree with, prove them wrong. Do it over e-mail if the classroom intimidates you and even if you think the Ph. D. could embarrass you by knowing something you didn't.
Get some more facts and have an intellectual conversation with your prof I'm sure most of them will enjoy being challenged and respect you for doing so.
If there are a few teachers who are stepping over the line and forcing their personal beliefs with no provocation or reason, bring it up to CMU rather than posting accusations online. There is a process for dealing with professors who discriminate - even on political grounds.
College professors are overwhelmingly liberal - just as business executives and military brass are overwhelmingly conservative. But certain disciplines and private colleges, as well as community colleges, are far closer in proportion to and sometimes even mirror the general public.
There have been numerous studies - one found a 20:1 liberal to conservative ratio (American Enterprise Institute) and 37 percent of the public think this is a serious problem.
Most of the studies have serious flaws (excluding community colleges and emphasizing doctoral and Ivy League schools over the greater majority of universities), but indicate that liberals do indeed rule colleges to one degree or another.
This is usually compared to national self-identification where the country generally favors Republican over Democrat or is split.
But as education level rises past a bachelor's degree, so does the likelihood of being liberal, so professors (assuming they have advanced degrees) should be expected to be more liberal than the population.
Academic freedom has to apply to both teachers and students - censoring the right of either to voice their academic opinions should not be allowed.
If your teacher tells you something you disagree with, prove them wrong. Do it over e-mail if the classroom intimidates you and even if you think the Ph. D. could embarrass you by knowing something you didn't.
Get some more facts and have an intellectual conversation with your prof I'm sure most of them will enjoy being challenged and respect you for doing so.
If there are a few teachers who are stepping over the line and forcing their personal beliefs with no provocation or reason, bring it up to CMU rather than posting accusations online. There is a process for dealing with professors who discriminate - even on political grounds.
College professors are overwhelmingly liberal - just as business executives and military brass are overwhelmingly conservative. But certain disciplines and private colleges, as well as community colleges, are far closer in proportion to and sometimes even mirror the general public.
There have been numerous studies - one found a 20:1 liberal to conservative ratio (American Enterprise Institute) and 37 percent of the public think this is a serious problem.
Most of the studies have serious flaws (excluding community colleges and emphasizing doctoral and Ivy League schools over the greater majority of universities), but indicate that liberals do indeed rule colleges to one degree or another.
This is usually compared to national self-identification where the country generally favors Republican over Democrat or is split.
But as education level rises past a bachelor's degree, so does the likelihood of being liberal, so professors (assuming they have advanced degrees) should be expected to be more liberal than the population.
Academic freedom has to apply to both teachers and students - censoring the right of either to voice their academic opinions should not be allowed.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
Kyle Warber
posted 2/22/08 @ 3:20 AM EST
It's not about being conservative or liberal....it's about being objective. Dennis and people like me don't have a problem with our liberal professors because of their politics, we have a problem because they find it impossible to be objective. (Continued…)
Reader
posted 2/22/08 @ 3:32 PM EST
Who is this liberal professor, MIke Ellis? I assume it's Gary Peters, but nobody has ever attacked Gary Peters for being a liberal.
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