University accused of censorship

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

[facedown]

"They were concluding something based on some very basic data for which they were not fully using other variables," he said.

Pop quiz.

Is this quote from: a) some snot-nosed pimply-faced college kid, or b) the Director of a research office?

[Tempest]

Suppression of freedom of speech and expression coming from the liberal power mongers?!

How come I'm not surprised?

[bourbon]

PING.

[petitfour]

Thanks for the ping.

I'm not so surprised by the low grades in biology compared to the low grades in women's studies. The basic biology course is often taken by a majority of freshman seeking to fulfill their natural sciences requirement. Many of these students don't even show up for class. They take whatever grade they can get with little study time. Women's studies is not a required subject. Less people take it. There are usually attendance requirements. And because the classes are smaller, students are more likely to pay attention and do their work in order to not stand out as a doofus. The only times I showed up for Biology were the first day and the days of tests. I always attended labs. I did not do well for some reason. :()

I had Dr. Ultee for one of the Western Civ classes. He is a spastic nonconservative. And that is an understatement. There was no attendance requirement for any of the survey history courses (west civ I and II, us history I and II). Thus, many students did mediocre because they did not show up. I loved the classes in which the professors loved their subject and gave a darn about what the students learned.

I did not know Senator Shelby lives in Tuscaloosa.

[Right Wing Professor]

Your explanation does not account for the fact that even in advanced science classes, taken only by majors, the grades are generally lower than in women's studies.

[bourbon]

I was a history major at UA and graduated in 1997. I think almost every class I took had a mandatory attendance policy, usually a severe one like if you miss 3 classes you fail the class. Also, the hardest class I took in college was a class taught by Kimball Armayor the classics prof. on Roman History. How hard was his class? A friend of mine, who ended up being a Rhodes Scholar got a "B" in his class. Also, when I took him, I heard that he hadn't given an "A" in any of his classes in two years.

[petitfour]

Hubby and I were just discussing this. One of his theories for this is that because women's studies is a relatively new department, there are not the same standards that you have in other well-established departments such as Chemistry or Biology. With Chemistry and Biology, undergraduates take classes that have set curricula and grades are based on a mastery of that material. With Women's Studies, profs are still deciding what are must-reads and must-know kinds of things.

On the other hand, it could be that Women's Studies departments are packed with liberal profs and liberal students, and they're all in one big love-fest.

[petitfour]

I took a Latin class from Armayor. Maybe his ear hair is what keeps him from being a push-over. :)

[spodefly]

Liberals believe in diversity ... so long as that diversity falls within the political spectrum of Mao, Stalin, and Marx.

[Austin Willard Wright]

Bump for free speech.

[bourbon]

Please ping other UA folks you know. Thanks!

[Austin Willard Wright]

President Robert Witt at the University of Alabama can be contacted here .