Professors worried students will share lectures with 'right wing sites'
Jon Street
Managing Editor
@JonStreet
on Mar 19, 2020 at 12:42 PM EDTProfessors across the country are expressing concern over courses being moved online as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
One professor expressed concern that "right wing sites" could expose what is being taught in college courses.Professors across the country are taking to social media to express their concern over being forced to deliver their course lectures online amid the coronavirus outbreak, sharing with each other tips on how to limit the number of people who are able to see what they're teaching students, and criticizing "right wing sites" and even Campus Reform, specifically.
Texas Christian University Associate Professor of Political Science Emily Farris tweeted Thursday, "if you are recording a lecture on anything controversial, be prepared for right wing sites to ask students to share it." Campus Reform reached out to Farris via Twitter Direct Messaging to allow her the opportunity to further explain her comments or to clarify. She later blocked the author of this article on Twitter.
LaSalle University Assistant Professor of Public Health Christen Rexing replied to Farris' tweet, asking why others could find topics such as "gun safety, women's health, elections, etc." to be "controversial, as they are "evidence-based."
"Seems like the flood gates could open," Rexing commented in response to courses moving online.
University of North Carolina political science graduate student Stephanie Shady also weighed in, saying, "Annnnd I just realized that the second half of my course focuses on public opinion towards and politicization of immigration. This will be interesting." Another user with the Twitter name "Prof CWO" replied "Sigh, I teach about white nationalism and this has been my biggest fear since we began transitioning to online instruction."
Columbia University political science professor Jeffrey Lax said he has been "thinking about" how students would be able to record classes.
Trinity College Associate Professor of Political Science Isaac Kamola who, as Campus Reform previously reported sought to hire a "Campus Reform Early Responder," specifically mentioned Campus Reform in his reply to Farris.
"If Campus Reform harasses you or someone you know, the best response is to 'follow the money.' Campus Reform receives $1.4 million from the Leadership Institute, a Koch-funded organization designed to delegitimize academics they consider too left. They are not a new [sic] source," Kamola tweeted.
A user whose website says they are a history professor at a "community college in North Texas" wrote, "I'm taking steps to limit this but nothing is foolproof."
Farris asked how Gunter was working to ensure her lectures are not made public, to which Gunter responded with one tip for her colleague.
"Instead of posting videos direct to LMS (which would then own them) I'm posting links to the videos on youtube. The videos themselves are 'unlisted' meaning you can't find them in a search or if you go to my page-only if you have the direct link. Doesn't stop link sharing though," Gunter said.
https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=14563
So, here I am, trying to wrap my head around the fact that liberals FEAR the possibility of the public learning what they are teaching. Does that make any sense at all? If I want to shape the world, wouldn't I WANT more people to hear the word, to understand my thoughts and goals, and hopefully to get on board with my agenda?
Instead, we have liberals who FEAR the idea that their thoughts might go viral.
Imagine that. We might suspect that liberal college professors are actually just propaganda indoctrination technicians. Brainwash the kids while they are young, before they develop critical thinking skills, right?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @01:25PM (6 children)
Have you not noticed that Harvard is not a liberal arts college? Not a Democratic lair? Not where you go to study transgender transracial transspecies transectionalism? Not a place that fears controversy?
Maybe you would like to try again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @02:18PM (1 child)
My friend got a 13 on the ACT and applied to Yale. They sent back an acceptance letter but tuition was going to be like $100k per semester.
(Score: 0, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @03:52PM
You have no friends. Those "friends" down on the corner, who take your disability check from you every month? They're just using you, and that's still the nearest thing to a friend you've ever known.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @06:49PM (3 children)
Have you noticed that you have no idea what a Liberal Arts college is? It is not the boogie man of conservatives, the ones who kidnap them and drop them in a clearing with a pig, Hunger Games style. Liberal Arts are the arts of a liberated (free) person, in other words, the skills Americans need to retain their freedom. Why do you hate America??
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @07:15PM (2 children)
Oh, yes, I have an idea. It's where navel gazers sit around, convincing each other that their vacuous opinions have something to do with life. It's a nice enough place to keep the lotus eaters out of the way of those who make the world turn. The problem comes in when people begin to take those navel gazers seriously. The Eloi go to liberal arts schools, while those who make things happen go to STEM curriculum schools. But, thanks for playing!
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @08:10PM
Ah, you mean Vo-Techs! Schools for those who would make themselves useful to others, so they can sell themselves to the highest bidder, which seems to be Walmart most recently. Slave schools, schools for slaves; no liberal arts= no freedom. You can paint yourself blue all you like, but if ya caint reed nur right, tugh tittle.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 23 2020, @12:33PM
The people going to STEM schools are going to spend their life working at the coal face, while the Eloi are going to sit in the bosses' chairs.