This “over the transom” piece is from a colleague who has chosen the pseudonym “Thucydides.” It owes a considerable debt—is in many respects an homage–to the legendary Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko. _________________________ Moose McGillicuddy wiped down the bar at his tavern. Moose’s was a typical downtown Ohio bar. Politicians, college students, construction workers, and…
This is an update from those who are, in effect, under siege at the university: Between 21 and 34 students and two professors were picked up yesterday around 5 pm, brutally beaten in a police van, and detained in unknown locations all night. We have some information now that they were detained in Miyapur and…
The following is taken (with slight edits) from the website of the Professional Staff Congress (PSC) at City University of New York, which represents faculty and professional staff at CUNY. The PSC is affiliated with the AAUP. “C-U-N-Y Don’t let CUNY die!” was the chant Thursday as more than 40 faculty and staff from the…
BY RISA LIEBERWITZ Yesterday, AAUP posted for public comment a draft report, “The History, Uses, and Abuses of Title IX.” This extensive report, an evaluation of the history and current uses of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, is a joint effort authored by a subcommittee (which I chaired) comprised of members of…
Marquette University yesterday announced the punishment of John McAdams for his crime of publicly criticizing a graduate student teacher’s pedagogy on his blog: He will be suspended (and banned) from campus until January 2017 (without pay but with benefits), and apparently will be forced to apologize for his actions as a condition of reinstatement. According to…
The following message was sent today by the California Faculty Association (CFA) to faculty in the California State University (CSU) system: March 24, 2016 Dear Colleague, The fact-finding report and recommendations regarding our bargaining with the CSU management will be made public on Monday, March 28. On that day, we will share the contents of…
Most of the text below was read at the University of California Regents Public Comment session March 23 in San Francisco. Following public comment, the regents amended the original text of the “Principles Against Intolerance” to which this statement refers. The revised policy was adopted without further debate today by the full board. The new…
BY AARON BARLOW A decade or so ago, I applied for a travel grant to examine papers of Carlos Salzedo, a twentieth-century French/American harpist. The request was turned down, the result of a scathing evaluation by someone who was incensed that I had not mentioned the other important French/American harpist of the time, Marcel Grandjany.…
Here is another excellent perspective on the University of California Board of Regents consideration of a proposed “intolerance policy” by UCLA History Professor Michael Meranze, posted originally on his Remaking the University blog. This Wednesday the Regents Committee on Educational Policy will be taking up the Final Report of the Regents Working Group on Principles…
On Wednesday of this week, the University of California Board of Regents will meet to consider a number of controversial proposals, among them a revised version of a proposed “intolerance policy.” The policy, which was prompted initially by allegations of harassment of Jewish students, had met with wide criticism when first proposed last Fall from advocates…