Politicizing Public Universities

Submitted by: ePluribus Media on Mon, 04/28/2008 - 09:12

In his ePluribus Media Journal Article, Academic Freedom and Student Rights in Politicized Institutions Aaron Barlow proposes a reasoned Students Rights policy. But before he does, he explains the necessity of remaining vigilant:

Today, we are witnessing a concerted attempt to politicize American public universities through the institution of direct legislative oversight. Bills have been recently introduced in Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Virginia, and West Virginia and other states that would allow politicians to meddle in the classroom.

If you are interested in the integrity of our universities, Barlow's article is a must read... Post your questions and comments for the author here!

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Dartmouth

Submitted by susie dow on Mon, 04/28/2008 - 12:31.

Wondered if you'd read about what's going on there. According to a diary over at Daily Kos, the right wing is now attacking the Board of Trustees at colleges.

The author was Miss Laura, who usually does a good job with research, etc.

The VRWC at Dartmouth and beyond

Here's the deal: Dartmouth has an unusually small board of trustees, with half the trustees historically elected by the alumni. In recent years, a group of alums has organized to elect hard right trustees, with the intent of rolling back two decades of Dartmouth's movement away from its infamously conservative past. Because the board of trustees is so small, it is vulnerable to the election of just a few people. (By way of comparison, Colgate University, with 2,750 students, has 34 trustees, while Dartmouth, with 4,100 students, has 18.)

When the college acted to make a full takeover of the board more difficult by expanding its size, the conservative-controlled Association of Alumni sued the college, supported by outside conservative groups. Now, the AoA is about to begin its elections, and the VRWC is continuing its mission to take over Dartmouth's alumni governance, continue the lawsuit, and influence the course of the college for generations.