Leftist California Professors “Corrupt” Higher Education

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/leftist-california-professors-corrupt-higher-education-070000246.html

By Larry Elder | Larry Elder – Thu, Apr 12, 2012

"I don't know any polite way of putting this — but he's lying," said professor John Ellis, president of the National Association of Scholars' California division. Ellis was reacting to a critic's characterization of the NAS's damning report, "A Crisis of Competence: The Corrupting Effect of Political Activism in the University of California."

California taxpayers spend $2.8 billion to educate the more than 230,000 students at the 10 campuses that comprise the UC system. But the report says the UC system does not help students learn how to think, but rather teaches them what to think. And what they "learn" is that they are victims — whether of racism, sexism, classism or discrimination because of sexual orientation. Liberal profs, says the report, turn the UC campuses into "a sanctuary for a narrow ideological segment of the spectrum of social and political ideas."

Nationwide, left-wing professors vastly outnumber conservative professors in the humanities. It isn't even close.

The report cites several studies, including political scientist Stanley Rothman's 1999 study: "Whether the question was posed in terms of liberals versus conservatives or Democrats versus Republicans, the margins favored the former by nearly 5-to-1 in each case, and in some departments the results were overwhelming. For example, in English departments the margin was 88-to-3, and in politics 81-to-2."

A different 2007 study, says the report, found the 5-to-1 margin between liberal versus conservative professors had become 8-to-1. Almost 20 percent of professors in social sciences and 25 percent of sociology professors self-identifies as "Marxist."

And things are getting worse. Younger professors tend to be even more liberal than older ones. Among UC Berkeley's associate and assistant professors, according to one study, registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by 49-to-1 in all departments — including sciences. When Berkeley associates and assistants replace the older professors as they retire, the extreme 8-to-1 tilt in favor of liberal profession could reach 50-to-1.

UC Berkeley professor Robert Anderson, the critic whom Ellis accuses of "lying," called the report "short on facts, but long on innuendo and anecdotes." Is it? The 87-page report looked at course descriptions, books assigned, faculty's political party registration and self-identification of ideology, and student feedback.

Students are immersed in an education that emphasizes the wrongs done to minorities, women, gays and other groups. Gender, ethnic, religious and sexual orientation grievances are highlighted as representative of an imperial, racist, exploitative capitalist superpower that continues to engage in widespread racism, sexism, homophobia and worldwide domination.

"We wuz wronged" takes center stage over a basic understanding of economics, of the concept of federalism, and of the values that turned a struggling bunch of colonies into a political and economic superpower. Indeed, the very mission statements of many departments on UC campuses stress their commitment to activism for enacting social change, or to bring about social or racial or fill-in-the-blank justice.

Take the UC Berkeley history course that majors in that field must take, "The United States from Settlement to the Civil War." Its course description states its goals: "to understand how democratic political institutions emerged in the United States in this period in the context of an economy that depended on slave labor and violent land acquisition."

A conservative professor — if there were any — might offer an alternative version of American history: The British colonies defied the mightiest world power by demanding and then fighting for political and religious freedom. They conceived a radical document, the United States Constitution, born out of armed revolution, where for the first time in human history, the new, imperfect country said: "The people rule. Through our Constitution, which we have amended to ensure equal rights of blacks and women, we grant our government limited, non-intrusive powers. The rest is left to the people and to the states."

Why does this matter?

After all, students expect professors to give opinions. Surely students aren't potted plants, and can a) read about other points of view and b) freely disagree with professors without fear of classroom ridicule or lower exam grades.

But the report says many students complain that alternative viewpoints are discouraged, scorned or dismissed, sometimes derisively. Students' complaints to administrators are ignored.

What is the practical effect of this "corrupted" education?

Take today's debate over whom to "blame" for high gas prices. Without some understanding of supply and demand, voters buy into the patently ridiculous argument that the price of oil results from "manipulation" by oil executives or evil "oil speculators." Voters ignorant of Econ 101 support populist policies like the minimum wage, which actually hurts the job prospects of the poor — the people minimum wage proponents purport to help.

NAS's Ellis says the answer is for the UC system to first acknowledge the problem. Then the UC system should stop ignoring its own regents' "Policy on Course Content." It states: "(Regents) are responsible to see that the University remain aloof from politics and never function as an instrument for the advance of partisan interest. Misuse of the classroom by, for example, allowing it to be used for political indoctrination ... constitutes misuse of the University as an institution."

Edited April 16, 2012 by Why_Me

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

This is just another reason why the US needs to cut Cali loose.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

This is just another reason why the US needs to cut Cali loose.

Do you ever research your sources?

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Do you ever research your sources?

It was on yahoo news. The guy can't be that big of a wingnut whoever he is.

[xebec 195]

Do you ever research your sources?

Lol......that's rich coming from someone who never posts a source, and essentially admitted to dismissing posted sources that challenged their pre-conceived notions.

Are you saying a non-progressive black man is an inherently unreliable source?

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Lol......that's rich coming from someone who never posts a source, and essentially admitted to dismissing posted sources that challenged their pre-conceived notions.

Are you saying a non-progressive black man is an inherently unreliable source?

I often post sources, they are not required to have an opinion are they? Nice finish with the race baiting by the way. Class all the way!

The source in the OP is questionable just by his language and writing style, to say nothing of his background as a conservative radio talk show host. Info-tainers of any stripe make poor sources.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

There's no denying the skewed teachings in history classes, social socience classes, etc. - This isn't just limited to California. It's much more widespread than many would like to admit.

After all, it's easy to bastardize history or spin it in a way that works in your favor when it can be argued that the person sitting next to you is doing the exact same thing. There's no governing body that looks over and watches university educations, nor should they be.

The biggest the brighest in this society don't "learn" anything from colleges and universities except how to manipulate the world around them. Higher education in this country is extremely overrated when it comes to real world application. Often times the curriculum is misguided or lacking in what you really need to know. That's one of the main reasons why that private specialty colleges have become a big deal to employers in recent years. They wants skills in their trade, not someone who had a 3.8 GPA by passing their history lessons.

Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with basic knowledge. However the knowledge you obtain at university is only 1/100th of the actual education you need to understand truly how the real world works.

We live in a society though that's more than happy to mass-produce human sheeple that are molded in a way to not interfere with the rest of the herd. It only makes sense for the education sructure to be a certain way dependent on the area you live in. In California, the struture in the article is very fitting.

[Leatherneck 693]

I often post sources, they are not required to have an opinion are they? Nice finish with the race baiting by the way. Class all the way!

The source in the OP is questionable just by his language and writing style, to say nothing of his background as a conservative radio talk show host. Info-tainers of any stripe make poor sources.

You libs are an amazing bunch. Attack the messenger and damn the facts. What does it matter if the man is conservative? Would the facts of the report be any less factual if Bill Maher or Ed Schultz wrote the article? It's a fact that faculty positions at institutions of higher learning are overwhelmingly filled by very liberal professors.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

You libs are an amazing bunch. Attack the messenger and damn the facts. What does it matter if the man is conservative? Would the facts of the report be any less factual if Bill Maher or Ed Schultz wrote the article? It's a fact that faculty positions at institutions of higher learning are overwhelmingly filled by very liberal professors.

Anyone who disagrees with a RWN is a Lib? Really? Really really? Perhaps there is amiddle ground, call it reality lets say, in between Libtardism and Right Wing Nutville? What say you to that concept?

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Anyone who disagrees with a RWN is a Lib? Really? Really really? Perhaps there is amiddle ground, call it reality lets say, in between Libtardism and Right Wing Nutville? What say you to that concept?

If you actually read the article you would notice the guy was spot on with that piece.

[Leatherneck 693]

Anyone who disagrees with a RWN is a Lib? Really? Really really? Perhaps there is amiddle ground, call it reality lets say, in between Libtardism and Right Wing Nutville? What say you to that concept?

So I guess there will be No comment about the facts mentioned in the article -- it's ok, you can stop dancing now.

Yes, anyone that believes in a small govt, a govt that does not, spend, borrow, tax, make promises and print money to the tune of $100 trillion is a RWN.

[Leatherneck 693]

If you actually read the article you would notice the guy was spot on with that piece.

Rule #1 for libs, avoid the facts and attack the messenger.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Edited April 17, 2012 by Why_Me

[Leatherneck 693]

That is a scary looking bunch.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

If you actually read the article you would notice the guy was spot on with that piece.

Spot on? Perhaps at 'proving' your pre-concieved bias. Why do you think Conservatives are too stupid to teach college?