Progressive Teachers

Survey after survey confirms that campus faculties are increasingly polarized politically. One study of voter registrations for 1,000 professors found that professors registered in one party outnumber professors in the other major party seven to one. Another study found a ratio of nine to one. At one university in Pennsylvania, the ratio was an unbelievable 27 to one.

If the Washington Post or New York Times were to look at the faculty of Pennsylvania's state-owned and state-related schools, how much diversity of thought would they find? Based on the following testimony from students at Penn State and elsewhere, one might begin to wonder:

* * "My professor interrupted his lecture.following the presidential election to read a [radio talk show] hoax that made the false accusation that the average intelligence of 'blue' states was higher than that of 'red' states. After passing this list off as factual and making jokes about 'rednecks' and 'uneducated hicks,' he got profane and concluded by saying 'Thanks for messing [expletive deleted] up my country.'"

* * "I had to watch Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9-11 in science class. What does that have to do with science?"

Space constraints do not allow me to cite the numerous other and even more egregious incidents of Pennsylvania students being embarrassed, graded down and harassed because of their worldview. Regardless of their philosophy, these students are entitled to the same academic freedom that their professors enjoy. Our educational institutions should strive for a maximum intellectual diversity, rather than subtly attempting to indoctrinate students into a certain way of thinking.

A Students' Academic Bill of Rights already have been adopted in Colorado and Georgia. Nine other states are on the verge of joining them. Such legislation states that all decisions relating to faculty or students should not be based on political or religious beliefs. Curricula, reading lists and even speakers invited on campus must also reflect a diversity of thought.