LAC mistake for a conservative kid?

Parent Cafe
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<p>LIberal and conservative can be found in some mix on most campuses. Hopefully your son will be exposed to both and grow from the process. For our D we wanted to make sure the environment was tolerant and fostered an open exchange of ideas. Is it the kind of place where speakers of one flavor or another are shouted down? Are newspapers expressing an opposing opinion stolen? Bad signs in my opinion.</p>

<p>Visit the schols. Have him attend class sessions. He should have a feel for the environment fairly quickly.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

22

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<p>No. It was the conservative students who assumed he’d have some sort of magic trick to force a politically conservative conclusion. It was the majority of the conservative students in the class who acted as though he was a “traitor” for making the logical conclusion that the data dictated. </p>

<p>I said that students need excellent professors. Going into college ready to reject, or even become annoyed with, a professor based on their personal politics is defeating the whole purpose of higher education. </p>

<p>I can understand a student wanting to be more comfortable with their peers who they will live with. But if my kid ever calls and complains that a professor is too conservative, I will be very disappointed. Being raised by a liberal, he knows the value I put on considering all angles by being able to fully articulate them.</p>

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<p>this very thread exposes the collective fascism that now defines modern “liberalism”.</p>

<p>but we dither about, they are but 2 sides of the same coin.</p>

24

<p>“is he going to college to have his belief system confirmed or is he going to learn?”</p>

<p>He is going to be taught, not to have a teacher’s opinion forced on him.</p>

<p>“If he doesn’t like anyone having a different opinion, how’s that going to work out in real life?”</p>

<p>He doesn’t want teacher’s expressing their political beliefs in classes that don’t warrant a political viewpoint…is that asking too much?</p>

<p>“I would think the professors perspective on politics need not be the focus of any class where the subject being taught is nonpolitical.”</p>

<p>exactly…but we all know that does not happen…I find that the so called “open minds” of some liberals, aren’t really so open and they can be the intolerant ones.</p>

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<p>Well are there any northeast Liberal Arts Colleges with a preponderance of conservative professors? I can’t think of any.</p>

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<p>Here’s an honest question: How, exactly, does a high school student know whether he’s “liberal” or “conservative”? Most of them have only a vague idea of what those terms mean, and tend to see things in very simple terms. I suspect they also tend either to (a) adopt the political positions of their parents, or (b) adopt the political positions that will most bother their parents. Either way, it’s not a thoughtful choice.</p>

<p>I had a number of seminars my freshman year with a future founder of the Federalist Society, a future high-ranking Bush Administration official, and a future respected right-wing polemicist. We heard each other talk a lot. None of them was obviously “conservative” then. They were in the process of learning stuff that they later processed into actual positions.</p>

<p>Year after year, all those “liberal” LACs, with their “indoctrinating” professors, seem to produce a steady stream of graduates who, in their adulthood, hold political views that cover a wide spectrum, including plenty of conservative ones. Smart, well-educated people are not that easy to indoctrinate, even if someone were really trying to do that.</p>

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<p>No one can force their opinion on another person. If a student is unable to retain their opinion after hearing another opinion, that’s not brainwashing. It’s thinking. </p>

<p>My mind is open, not empty. I am very intolerant of many things; sexism, homophobia, and so on.</p>

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<p>My Dd has found that there is a pervasive underlying assumption that the most leftward thinking position is correct and that others must be convinced.</p>

<p>DD has lived through more than one election and played on a team with a good deal of LGBT people who were very politically outspoken. DD was successful in opening dialog on many issues, but it does get a bit overwhelming at times, to essentially be seen as the sole representative for your kind…like the lone black kid represents all black people, DD sometimes represented every person who did not have the most leftward view. DD was not that political so found herself having to reach deep to understand and then convey her positions</p>

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<p>OP: why would your son be considering liberal NE LACs? Do you think that would be a desirable experience for him? I would appreciate clarification of the original question, please.</p>

<p>after post 24, I am even more confused as to why you and he would be considering such schools?</p>

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<p>“It’s interesting to me that many conservatives seem to truly believe that it is just a coincidence that the majority of the best and brightest professors, and most elite colleges, tend to be liberal.”</p>

<p>I don’t find it a coincidence at all. Many liberals are idealistic…their natural calling would be to teach their views. The difference between liberals and conservatives can be summed up simply: Liberals know how the world should be(world peace, no poverty, racism, ect)…conservatives realize that humans haven’t evolved to that point yet…</p>

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<p>“OP: why would your son be considering liberal NE LACs? Do you think that would be a desirable experience for him? I would appreciate clarification of the original question, pleas”</p>

<p>I didn’t want to rule out a bunch of schools just because they were liberal arts. So, are you suggesting that all such schools have professors that want to push their viewpoints on the students? I was hoping this wasn’t the case.</p>

<p>Edit: I didn’t say LIBERAL LACS…just LACS</p>

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<p>Your son and the professor might interpret this in different ways. Let’s say that your son is taking a biology course. The professor mentions a new research result on Neanderthal DNA, discusses evolutionary changes between Neanderthal and modern homo sapiens DNA, and then talks about how this provides additional support for evolutionary theory. Some students would bristle at this as expressing a political viewpoint. I ask this as a serious question, not something rhetorical: would your son have an issue with this, or a discussion of climate change in geology? A humanities example would be looking at homoerotic themes in [fill in favorite work by dead white male]. </p>

<p>Many classes will warrent a political viewpoint. Another dividing line to consider is if the professor expresses political beliefs and expects to have them reflected right back in order to get a good grade, or if the professor lectures from one viewpoint, but welcomes students who take opposing views that they can back up. Would your son be comfortable in the latter environment? </p>

<p>The answers to these questions will help you figure out what’s right for your son.</p>

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<p>In post #22, you asserted this.

[QUOTE=pugmadkate]

I said that students need excellent professors.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>In post #11, you asserted this as a fact.

[QUOTE=pugmadkate]

… the majority of the best and brightest professors, and most elite colleges, tend to be liberal.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Given these statements combined, I think it’s reasonable to assume that you think students “need” professors you consider “liberal” – or, at minimum, that you think they will benefit from such professors.</p>

<p>
[QUOTE=pugmadkate]

Going into college ready to reject, or even become annoyed with, a professor based on their personal politics is defeating the whole purpose of higher education.

[/quote]

But see, this isn’t what the OP said. OP’s son reportedly “doesn’t like it when teachers express their liberal opinions.” In a Math class, or a Lit class, or what-have-you, the OP’s son would like to focus simply on the material at hand – not on how people who drive cars will destroy the world, or Barack Obama will save the world, or people who don’t support gay marriage are senseless bigots, or Marxism is a brilliant approach that just hasn’t been given a fair enough shake yet in the world. Just the material, thanks and good-bye. That (just the material, just the facts) is what you got from your profs that you appreciated so much, yes?</p>

<p>That’s all that geeps20’s kid seems to be looking for. No different from your repulsion at the goofy classmate who condemned you to Hell for whatever reason – I imagine your reasoned reaction was something like, Um, can we get back to American Lit now? Imagine that kind of crap coming at you from your professors instead – people who hold some power over you. That seems to be a reality for many students at many colleges today, according to some reports, and (assuming I understood the original post correctly) geeps20 was just looking for some first- or secondhand information as to whether those reports are accurate or exaggerated.</p>

<p>Now, I think I’ll go have a look at the haiku thread and get back to work… cheers. ;)</p>

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<p>“Here’s an honest question: How, exactly, does a high school student know whether he’s “liberal” or “conservative””</p>

<p>My son followed the last election very closely. Believe me…he knows a lot about politics…and he definitely aligns himself with just about everything that is conservative…and no, my views were never pushed on him, actually, politics were never spoken in our house until this last election…</p>

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<p>“Another dividing line to consider is if the professor expresses political beliefs and expects to have them reflected right back in order to get a good grade, or if the professor lectures from one viewpoint, but welcomes students who take opposing views that they can back up”</p>

<p>This is basically my main concern…do professors at LACs in general want their viewpoint upheld and hold grudges against differing views? If yes, then I wouldn’t want my son to be anywhere near such a school.</p>

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<p>Why not send him to a school where you know he will be comfortable? Where there is no possibility of “professors that want to push their viewpoints on the students?” Campus culture is an important part of the selection process imho.</p>

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<p>geeps20–if a professor expects students to reflect back his/her beliefs, they would be a bad professor. one hopes that good LAC’s only hire good professors.</p>

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<p>"Why not send him to a school where you know he will be comfortable? Where there is no possibility of “professors that want to push their viewpoints on the students?”</p>

<p>Again, that is what I’m asking. How would I know what professors do at LACs? I was hoping to hear that they just teach, not push views. From the responses, can I assume that the majority of prof at LACs do indeed push their views? If so, that is very disappointing.</p>

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<p>Speaking as a left-of-center person who moved from the northeast to Texas, if you’re willing to consider a different part of the country (as opposed to a different political orientation) why not consider Texas (or environs). We had to rule out a couple of LAC’s in this state for D because they were bound to be too conservative for her comfort level. I agree that the college experience is what you make of it and it’s part of the education to see other points of view – yeah, I know. But I really do sympathize with not wanting to feel like an outsider. Good luck.</p>

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<p>I warned my daughter that most college professors are pretty liberal, so she should keep that in mind wherever she goes.</p>