[Duke University] Faculty speak out on threats, intimidation [at "Shut Up and Teach" event]

The Duke Chronicle ^ | 2/13/2007 | Locomotive Breath

[cinives]

I must have made the most misunderstood post of the day. You are the 3rd or 4th person to misunderstand.

I was referring to the amount the student pays per year to Duke for tuition room and board, not the amount earned by any faculty member.

[JTHomes]

You are right, of course. The poly science, lit, comp, and several economics courses pretty much espouse Marxism. But it is hard to work that type of position into physics, calculus, chemistry, accounting or computer types of classes. That is probably what steered me into more math and science classes even though they weren't my major. It doesn't have to be a magic curriculum, just one where they actually teach hard sciences or skills related to a real job. To many kids haven't been prepared to take these more challenging courses, so they waste their time taking easy clasess like art history, poly sci, sociology, black history, women's studies, literature, where all you have to do is echo back to the professor the limp minded PC drivel they spit out, and you'll do no worse than a 3.0.

[quadrant]

Only an idiot believes one pays tuition to a private college - or a public university - such as Duke to receive an education. One pays for the right to list Duke on your resume as your alma mater.

[JTHomes]

You wouldn't believe what goes on in the Ed department.

I took a guest semester at a nearby teacher school during my undergrad. Summers off sounded pretty cool so I considered teaching high school math. My instructors in those courses however completely turned me off. In one exchange with my professor for a Teaching Highschool Math class, she was talking about some boring curriculum that instructed by teaching simple algorithms to solve problems, which student had to memorize and practice over and over, and why it was good we didn't use it in most US schools. I challenged her, asking who uses this type of curriculum? She said Japan, Singapore, Germany were examples of countries that use similar techniques. Then I asked, "But don't all those countries score much better than the US in math and Science?" She finally admitted that was so, and I never got any assignments graded higher than C after that exchange. And then I decided that if people like her decide the curriculum, run the unions and schools, and would be my coworkers, teaching would be a very frustrating profession for me.

[cinives]

You are forgetting environmental "science" and climatology. :)

I realize we're talking college here, but do you know that the intro level science and math courses in many universities, taken by those who are not intending to be science majors, are watered-down dreck ? Take a look at the lower level books used in the universities and you'll see what I mean.

[JTHomes]

You've got another good point. I went right for the real classes as a freshman, so I missed what many students are indoctrinated with. But my last undergrad class was called global climate or something. I was one credit shy so I had to take a spring class after graduation. It was one of the watered down drivel courses of which you write.

[cinives]

I went to college at a private university that to this day still teaches Austrian economics and still has first rate math and science departments.

You couldn't pay me to attend most colleges today. In fact, I have a 17yo who needs to go to college but I am having a hard time finding more than just a handful at which I'd be happy to pay tuition.

Wake Forest
Grove City
Thomas Aquinas

are just a few I could stand to send her to.

[johnny33]

The presence of Marxist politics and other substitutes for actual rigorous learning I view as more a symptom of a deeper problem, the collapse of intellectual standards.

I think it is the Marxist professors that have caused the lowering of standards. If Marxism is only a symptom, then what was the cause? What about the Frankfurt school and critical theory? Are you going to deny that the Social Sciences have been taken over by Marxists? Perhaps you should look at some of the textbooks that are being used.

Many faculty went to ivy league or selective colleges in their own undergraduate days, and they have trouble adapting to schools with weak academic standards

But most faculty didn't, and from my experience most faculty are leftover 60's radicals who see nothing wrong with grading someone down for having unfavorable opinions. Everyone I know has had to deal with a professor who could't separate politics from academic responsibility. I know it is your profession so you are naturally defensive of it but U.S. Universities today are dominated by leftist ideologues. There's a "Duke 88" at every school.

[sobieski]

In that case, it's closer to $50k, isn't it?

[CommerceComet]

"Good morning class, today in our first day of psychology, we'll discuss global warming, climate change if you will, and will continue with this topic until each of you socialists in training truly believe it exists"..

"The grading scale is:

A = agree 100% with your professor.

B = agree 100% with your professor but don't openly worship your professor.

C = agree 100% with your professor but don't snarl when you mention Republicans, Christians, conservatives, the rich, or any other group that your professor has designated as slime balls.

D = disagree with your professor on anything but your parents are either big-time donors to the university or attorneys who will sue if you fail.

F = disagree with your professor and prove that you are a Republican, Christian, conservative slime ball who does belong at an elite school like Duke.

[cinives]

We'll split the difference:

From their website, Duke charges $34K for tuition, $10K for a room, and estimates $2500 for books and personal expenses (food?), bringing it to nearly $46.5.

Ouch.

Parents who pay this are being taken to the cleaners in every sense.

[montag813]

Three schools my children will never attend. Duke, Cornell, and UNC (for denying the SUV jihadist was motivated by religion when he said so)

[murdoog]

As a lecturer in Computer Science, I appreciate your posting a lot.

There is certainly an upside to an academic career. I like the flex time and not having to wear a tie. My problem is that people not in the profession see ONLY the upside. Your post helped balance things.

[Locomotive Breath]

The bad news is that very few institutions are NOT infected with this kind of rot.

[sobieski]

You are right, indeed