How odd... Was just looking at the resume... Dr. Shaw is a BYU grad, and therefore overwhelmingly likely to be a Mormon himself, as well as a former naval officer with wartime service. And his studies have been in geography, a reasonably 'hard' science. And he was administrator of a battlefield preservation trust. Men like this don't usually take loony leftist positions in public.
Furthermore, it is worth reading his web page on his teaching philosophy. Not much there I can argue with. It's nice to see a professor enforcing standards.
Sample: "Most of you have spent the last few years wanting to be treated like an adult. You have finally reached that goal and will be treated as such. Please remember that lame excuses, whining, and avoidance of the consequences of your own actions are a part of your past behaviors and subsequently, I will have little patience for them."
Read it all: Teaching Philosophy
I want to know more details before I dismiss Dr. Shaw out of hand. He seems like my kind of guy.
-ccm