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posted by on Tuesday December 20 2016, @01:36PM   Printer-friendly
from the foolproof-like-all-other-watchlists dept.

The latest manifestation of the conservative targetting of academia is the Professor Watchlist, created by the "activist organization" Turning Point USA, founded by rising star Charlie Kirk. It's stated purpose is to "watch" professors "who discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom"

Of course, this is not new. David Horowitz has written a book called The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America . HeterodoxAcademy.org has rational articles discussing the liberal slant to modern college campuses. Nicholas Kristoff writes an interesting piece on the same topic. However, with the election of President Trump, the stakes may have been raised. A professor in California has gone incognitio after criticizing Trump in the classroom and receiving death threats.

But more important is how the attempt to blacklist liberal academics has actually backfired. George Yancy [not the George Yancey from the Kristoff piece above] published a response, "I Am a Dangerous Professor" in the New York Times, and since then it seems to have become de rigueur for all academics to get their name on the Professor Watchlist in order to cement their tenure. An entire hashtag on Twitter has taken form: #trollprofwatchlist! People have taken to mocking the list by suggesting candidates such as Thomas Jefferson, Gandhi, and Jesus, not to mention Socrates, who obviously belongs.

Charlie Kirk may not be dangerous, but he did start this list. I am watching him now.


[Editor note - This story was substantially rewritten for balance. As always, the original submission is available at the link below.]

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 3, Touché) by gauauu on Tuesday December 20 2016, @03:40PM

    by gauauu (3693) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @03:40PM (#443830)

    the other part being they taught too slow but still required attendance

    Using "they" as a universal complaint about colleges isn't fair here. Some colleges/programs/classes require attendance. Some don't. Attendance wasn't required in most of my university classes (I had a few classes that I skipped for months in a row, preferring to learn the material from other sources).

    Today they are so far off the scale that the scale no longer means anything to their insane positions.

    Are you associated with a college today, or are you making this based on what the media has reported to you? As an employee of a large state university, in a liberal town, I'd say: my university is a giant mix of things. Mostly liberal-leaning. But not entirely. And not "so far off the scale". Even our recent well-loved University President is a conservative Christian pig farmer. You're making a big blanket statement that isn't universally accurate, from my experience.

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  • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday December 20 2016, @08:38PM

    by The Mighty Buzzard (18) Subscriber Badge <themightybuzzard@proton.me> on Tuesday December 20 2016, @08:38PM (#444029) Homepage Journal

    Are you associated with a college today, or are you making this based on what the media has reported to you?

    I'm basing that on what the students and faculty have to say about themselves as well as the insane percentage of higher learning professors who self-identify as liberal or progressive. This is the only remotely political news site I frequent, so it has to have expanded well beyond anyone's narrative to even reach my notice.

    --
    My rights don't end where your fear begins.