‘Fundamentally Inconsistent’ With University Values
Organizers of the Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government Fund hoped to turn their new program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign into a Hoover Institution of the Midwest, a model for getting more free market ideals and ideological diversity into major research universities.
But when a faculty committee was able to get all the details of the
agreement that created the new center, it found provisions that were
“fundamentally inconsistent” with university values that are designed to ensure
a diversity of views. Specifically, the panel found that portions of the
agreement would have restricted funds to research designed to reflect certain
points of view, and that donors were given control over matters traditionally
left to academics.
The faculty panel — which was appointed by the chancellor — said it
was “deeply troublesome” that the agreement to accept the center was made
without faculty consultation and that many details were kept secret until
recently. The panel called for Chancellor Richard Herman to renegotiate the deal
for the academy and on Tuesday, a spokeswoman confirmed that he had pledged to do so.
...
“We’re open to working in a collaborative way with the donors,” Burbules said, as long as any arrangement shows “unambiguous” respect for academic principles.
I'd believe the collaborator part, but respect for academic principles? Come on, what academic principles? Most faculty members are mini Mao's regurgitating the teachings from their own Little Red Books.
Academic principles, indeed. At least I didn't have to pay tuition to get professorial chuckles delivered right into my home. Maybe U of I at Urbana-Champaign faculty could up the humor level and hire Ward Churchill as a spokesman. Hilarity will be had by all.
Too bad today's students have to suffer under regime-like indoctrination instead of getting an education.
