very interesting exchange Sapir Journal, Fall 2024; Here’s a brief summary of the whole thing:
We’ve seen the same data and have been very concerned about the decline in acceptance and trust in higher education. The downward trend is greater among conservative people There is a political spectrum, but it spans both the left and the right. I think it stems from two concerns. On the progressive side, there is concern that universities with high selection rates are perpetuating inequality. And the concern of the right is that we are a woke factory…
The issue of the politicization of higher education has been brought into stark relief after the Middle East conflict and campus drama we witnessed last year. These developments have raised an issue in the public consciousness that has existed for many years. They are now becoming much more serious and many universities are demanding a course correction…
Looking back, there were three pillars to how universities viewed their role in society.
If you look at the University of Chicago, one pillar has been its commitment to free speech. This has been reaffirmed by various chancellors since its founding, most recently in the 2015 report. chicago principles. Universities should be places of public debate.
The second pillar is what we call institutional neutrality. This means that the University does not intervene or take positions on controversial political or social issues that are not directly related to the University’s mission. The University of Chicago formalized this policy. The Kalven Report Since 1967, it has been very persuasive that when a university formulates a party line on an issue, it has the effect of discouraging faculty and students from participating in debate and discourse.
A less appreciated but important third pillar is reasoning, respect, and commitment to argument and the use of evidence. Discourse and debate in universities should not be about shouting. That’s more of a cultural aspect. All three have been eroded, and in a significant way over the past decade. Now we see the results.
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