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October 31, 2003

YCT Publishes Blacklist

By Byron LaMasters

It's here:

Bob Jensen, associate journalism professor David Edwards, government professor Clement Henry, government professor Jennifer Suchland, assistant government instructor Thomas Garza, associate professor of Slavic languages and literature Stephen Bronars, economics professor Harry Cleaver, associate economics professor Edmund Gordon, professor of anthropology and African American studies Penne Restad, senior history lecturer Gretchen Webber, assistant sociology instructor

It's interesting how YCT said that they'd include all professors that promoted an ideology - conservative or liberal. Yet, they seem only interested in attacking liberal professors.

Of the ten on the blacklist, eight are liberals, one is anti-Israel and one is conservative. While the liberals are hashly attacked, the token conservative on the list is only given a light slap on the wrist:

Instructor: Steve Bronars Department: Economics Course Evaluated: Introduction to Microeconomics Spring 2004 courses: Dr. Bronars acknowledges that one of the reasons he teaches economics is to get more people to agree with his opinions on it. He champions the free market system and believes in minimal government intervention. Although he may try to offer a liberal perspective on economics early on, he will admit that his class focuses instead on efficiency. He is very good at teaching economics, but sometimes his opinions are the main things that shine through in his lectures. You probably wouldn't take a free market economics class if you didn't already believe in capitalism, but Dr. Bronars may try to do the thinking for his students without challenging them to question why they feel the way they do.

None of the liberals on the list receive that sort of treatment. Here's a sampling:

[...]

Jensen introduces the unsuspecting student to a crash course in socialism, white
privilege, the "truth"; about the Persian Gulf War and the role of America as the world's prominent sponsor of terrorism. Jensen half-heartedly attempts to tie his rants to "critical issues" in journalism, insisting his lessons are valid under the guise of teaching potential journalists to "think" about the world around them.

[...]

Dr. Edwards allows his hatred of conservatism and capitalism to permeate his entire curriculum.

[...]

Gordon implied that if you're black and conservative, you're not black enough, and you're not doing what's in the best interest of the black community. He's called himself a radical and displayed a political agenda of changing students' minds toward a far left ideology. Most of what's taught consists of how blacks were and are oppressed, which would seem to deprive students of other important elements of black culture.

[...]

Although during class discussions Suchland allows dissenting ideas, all of the course readings greatly accentuate oppression and exploitation in the U.S. along race, class, and gender lines. If you believe in the American Dream and that the U.S. is a land of great opportunity, nothing in the readings from this
class will confirm that belief.

[...]

Dr. Restad's goal is not to encourage objective inquiry into the history of this nation, but rather to indoctrinate students with highly subjective, emotional reactions to historical events.


While, some of these are probably fair attacks, a lot of them are pretty cheap. It makes sense that a course on African-American history would focus on oppression of African-Americans, because, well from the time African Americans were brought to America in the 17th century until the Civil Rights Act - they were, by law, (constitutionally 3/5ths) second class citizens. Naturally, the majority of an African-American history class would emphasize the reality and effects of Black oppression. The next professor is critisized for "accentuat[ing] oppression and exploitation in the U.S. along race, class, and gender lines" and that "if you believe in the American Dream and that the U.S. is a land of great opportunity, nothing in the readings from this
class will confirm that belief." Is it not possible to believe both? I think that it's important to understand the exploitation and oppression of underprivledged races, classes and women in America in the context of believing in American opportunity. They aren't mutrally exclusive. And to suggest that recognizing inequalities in America is contradictory to believing in the American dream is quite biased. It's YCT. What do you expect?

Posted by Byron LaMasters at October 31, 2003 07:35 PM | TrackBack


Comments

But you missed the best part(s), Byron. First, Austin Kinghorn seemed to admit in the Texan today that the list had no real purpose --

"The group insists the list is not intended to advocate retaliation against the professors or to demand changes in the teaching styles of the professors."

-- which leaves "shooting themselves in the foot" as the only rationale for YCT to do this (which further validates my hypothesis that...

(close your eyes, kids)

... the YCT is just one big circle-jerk.

Even better, however, is the quote from the Liberal Arts Dean. While the story he tells sounds too good to be true, here's what he says --

"Lariviere said some concerned professors had approached him about the list.

'I had a couple of professors worried that they wouldn't be on it,' he said."

So being on this list is actually a BADGE OF HONOR to some professors, which I think says more about YCT's imbecility than accusations of academic bias (which usually do get taken seriously).

And then of course the admission that very few students seemed to care about this...

Posted by: Jim D at October 31, 2003 07:54 PM

They put Dr. Thomas Garza on their list? I took one of his classes. He teaches Russian folklore and Vampirism (how can you be liberally biased on vampirism?)...YCT is just about the most retarded organization on campus for doing that.

Posted by: David G at October 31, 2003 08:19 PM

Jensen is a real prick, however.

Posted by: Blue at October 31, 2003 08:48 PM

the token conservative on the list

Be honest, Byron. Thus 10% of the list consists of conservatives, right? Can you honestly say that more than 10% of the UT faculty is conservative? Not a "closet conservative", as many need to be to keep their jobs, but an overtly conservative professor, whose ideological views are so strident as to deserve inclusion?

I would imagine that at 10%, conservatives are over-represented.

Jensen is a real prick, however.

Jensen is a real America-hating prick.


Posted by: Mark Harden at November 1, 2003 08:18 AM

I'm ABD in Government at UT. I can think of only one or two professors who aren't straight-ticket D voters. The partisanship was really apparent at the election-night party in 2000 (I think it might have been at Clem Henry's house, come to think of it.)

Posted by: Blue at November 1, 2003 01:37 PM

I am SHOCKED, I tell you, SHOCKED that the Young Conservatives of Texas are biased against liberal professors.

This is a travesty... What next? Bias in the ACLU? :)

Posted by: Owen Courrèges at November 1, 2003 09:31 PM

Campus is under the thrall of "liberals," [yawn] at least according to people who don't even know what the word means.

The gossip on campus is that a number of liberal arts professors spoke with Dean (Lariviere?), worried that THEY WERE GOING TO BE LEFT OFF THE LIST. Yeah, running scared. Thanks, YCT.

Actually, I don't think this ploy is intended for the campus crowd, it's aimed squarely at the Trailer Park. That way, anything coming out of academia that threatens useful superstitions can be dismissed as "bias," which is the closest thing to an argument I've heard out of the right for some time. On campus, meanwhile, this stunt provides a great opportunity to talk about the drawbacks of ideology.

At least, that's how I always used it.

Posted by: Grand Moff Texan at November 3, 2003 08:13 AM

cleaver ain't no liberal.

Posted by: N at January 8, 2004 09:39 PM
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