Category: Americas

Georgetown lecturer suspended for tweet

Tom Todd/ / Americas, USA

On the evening of Jan. 26, Shapiro, recently hired as executive director of Georgetown Law’s Center for the Constitution, posted to Twitter that Sri Srinivasan, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, would be Biden’s “best pick” for the Supreme Court:

Objectively best pick for Biden is Sri Srinivasan, who is solid prog & v smart. Even has identity politics benefit of being first Asian (Indian) American. But alas doesn’t fit into latest intersectionality hierarchy so we’ll get a lesser black woman. Thank heaven for small favors?

Because Biden said he’s only consider black women for SCOTUS, his nominee will always have an asterisk attached. Fitting that the Court takes up affirmative action next term.

On Monday, Jan. 31, just as dozens of faculty from across the nation joined these warnings by signing an open letter authored by UCLA Law professor and First Amendment scholar Eugene Volokh, Georgetown announced that it had suspended Shapiro “pending an investigation.” 

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University of Washington issues language guidelines

Tom Todd/ / Americas, USA

“UW-IT has joined IT organizations at universities around the country that are involved in activities to replace racist, sexist, ageist, ableist, homophobic or otherwise non-inclusive language scattered throughout materials and resources in the software and information technology fields.

The resources provided in this document are mostly focused on language surrounding technology tools, resources and services, or language that is more likely to be used on web properties or documentation platforms.”

Example: a black list or the verb blacklist should no longer be used as they perpetuate “concepts that have been used to oppress people of color”.

The guide published here also contains an extensive list of similar literature from other colleges and institutions.

AAUP calls for papers regarding conservative attempts at squelching academic freedom

Tom Todd/ / Americas, USA

By College Fix Staff


The American Association of University Professors’ Journal of Academic Freedom is calling for papers that “critically examine attempts at thought control by the Right, the whitewashing of historical narratives, and specific assaults on academic freedom that cut across the K–12 and higher education sectors.”

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Astronomer retracts paper

Tom Todd/ / USA

Astronomer retracts paper on use of data to make hiring decisions because it could harm ‘women and minorities’

University of Texas at Austin astronomer John Kormendy retracted a paper and paused a book about the use of hard data in the hiring and funding of professors after criticism that it harmed women and racial minorities.

Continue reading the article @The College Fix here

The text of his apology is here.

The full paper has been archived here.

A Star Is Born: The Academic Freedom Alliance (USA)

Tom Todd/ / USA

by Richard Vedder
Distinguished Professor of Economics Emeritus at Ohio University.

When I am asked “what is the single biggest problem with higher education in America?” some expect me to talk about the high costs, excessive tuition fees, abysmal inefficiencies, learning deficiencies, or poor vocational outcomes characterizing America’s colleges and universities today. But there is a more fundamental problem: increasingly, participants in the learning experience at American universities are afraid to say what they believe. There is growing self-censorship arising from fears that there can be very severe negative consequences from saying something that is not acceptable to the campus community.

Continue reading -> here
The AFA is here