University accused of censorship

Mobile Register ^ | 01/19-04 | Sean Reilly

[Alas Babylon!]

Roll Tide... over the conservatives?

Alabama is a very conservative state. Universities, even deep in the Heart o' Dixie, aren't. Sure to be fallout.

[BluSky]

These libs are un-freeping-believable!!!

They know they are losing power and will stop at nothing to inflame the masses (on both sides of the aisle).

Yeah, right . . . the party of inclusion, free speech and the rights of the minority!

The dismantling of the democrat party continues . . .

[headsonpikes]

78% 'A's...LOL!

[aculeus]

Outrageous.

[adam_az]

In fall 2002, the Alabama organization reported that some academic departments at the University of Alabama were handing out a much higher ratio of "A" grades than others. Topping the list was the women's studies department, where the percentage of "A's" averaged more than 78 percent for freshman and sophomore courses, according to the group. For the Department of Biological Sciences, the comparable percentage was 11.5 percent.

When association members sought to update their findings last summer, they were told that the university's Office of Institutional Research and Assessment no longer compiled the grade distribution data, Beito said. Soon after they reported that development in the inaugural issue of their newspaper, The Alabama Observer, administrators decided that the Observer could not be sent through campus mail. In Tuscaloosa, about 5,000 copies of the latest issue are instead being distributed on racks, Beito said.

El Bumpo

[Quilla]

What in the world does one do with a degree in Women's Studies?

[xm177e2]

What in the world does one do with a degree in Women's Studies?

a) teach women's studies
b) be a collossal bore at parties

[bourbon]

Did the university allow groups which were not "funded and managed by the university" to circulate unstamped mail through the campus mail system berfore the Alabama Observer appeared on the scene? If so, this move would seem to be politically motivated!

[adam_az]

"What in the world does one do with a degree in Women's Studies?"

Not formal logic, that's for sure. ;)

[lilylangtree]

The education system needs overhauling if one can get past the RAT libs running the system.

[Sloth]

Fendley also called the scholars association's handling of the data "shallow," because it didn't take other factors into account. Higher admission standards might be producing better students, Fendley said, or some teachers might be doing a better job of instruction.

Uh, yeah. No doubt the 'Women's Studies' department is just brimming with Merit Scholars, unlike those dumb old biologists across campus.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

What in the world does one do with a degree in Women's Studies?

I've been studying women for years. Do they offer transfer credit for life experience?

[AmishDude]

Here's the deal: Nobody would take Garbage Studies if it weren't an easy A. So, they have an intro course that every student takes and gets an A. Then they have some people get a major in it (even more get the easy minor) and it pulls up their GPA.

The disciplines themselves aren't academically rigorous, but if the courses were the least bit difficult, nobody would waste their time.

They compare the grade distribution to bio, but this course is even wussy compared to other courses in the humanities.

[atomic conspiracy]

"We're trying to follow the law," says the weasel admin-droid.

Is there any living person who believes this? I wonder if the campus chapter of, say, Womyn for Peace and Palestinian Resistance would be banned from the campus mail?

As for Women's Studies, majors in this field also have prospects in various government protective and mental health agencies, welfare and social work, and, especially, in the ever-burgeoning "diversity" industry. Practically every institution of any size, government or private, now has to have an "office of diversity planning" or something similar to make sure that every grievance group, real or imagined, gets its allocated share of the pie.

[Right Wing Professor]

What in the world does one do with a degree in Women's Studies?

"Want fries with that, male chauvinist pig?"

[Right Wing Professor]

Topping the list was the women's studies department, where the percentage of "A's" averaged more than 78 percent for freshman and sophomore courses, according to the group. For the Department of Biological Sciences, the comparable percentage was 11.5 percent.

Only 78% As? Must be some men taking those classes.

FWIW things are just the same at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. My Department (Chemistry) grades somewhere around a B minus average. Women Studies like to hand out mostly As.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Actually, according to the ASA's study on grade distortion , it was generally higher, sometimes the class average was over 4.0 (because of A+s). There was one odd-ball semester in which the average was lower thus bringing it down to "only" A's for Women's Studies.

The College of Education is also terrible at nearly 60 percent A's in intro course..

[jtminton]

Spend Friday nights at home.

[Quilla]

LOL! Actually, all the answers to my question were superb.