My understanding is that this faculty committee has been examining this for some time. It did not start commencement weekend. They were not going to terminate her before the end of the school year. There is the issue of academic freedom as well. I predict that a decision will be made very soon, because if she is let go, arrangements will have to be made for someone to take over her courses.
That is absolutely not correct. There are many responses that are furious with the actions of the students in these circumstances, and place just as much responsibility on them for unreasonable behavior as some of us are with these students. Then there are some that seem more in your camp of “siding with the kids”, even if they don’t agree with what they are doing/asking for. Frankly I don’t even know what that means. You mean you appreciate their intentions to reform things, even if both the substance and tactics of their movement are wrong? Well OK, that’s fine. I also would rather have students that are not apathetic in general, but not when they don’t understand a whole bunch of basic things such as free speech, free association, the history of civil rights, the history of social movements such as theirs, the fractious results of their separating groups instead of bringing them together, their near criminalization and their definite social stigmatization for the most wispy of imagined slights, and on and on.
Before you jump on the criminalization part, what I am talking about is several of these movements want to make these kinds of incredibly slight or even wholly imagined “insults”, such as “the USA has traditionally been a melting pot of various cultures”, or using the term ghetto, or any of 100+ other terms that are quite ordinary, as offenses worthy of suspension or expulsion. Even if offensive to some in some way, they are RARELY meant to be insulting. Yet these people, instead of accepting the obviously reasonable other side of these kinds of issues, and settling for a longer term campaign to take them out of the language, always have to go for the nuclear option. We have, in general, made people aware that the term “to Jew someone down” or “gypsy” and a number of other names and phrases are not so acceptable. Is it 100%? No of course not, although the n word is close in all but the most extreme people (and rappers) but college kids almost never use these terms now.
You are right that the Yale example, while convenient, is not a good argument other than to point out that it does mirror the same kind of irrational zealotry that leads to a long list of non-negotiable demands, and the frequent silencing of any opposing opinions. The difference in sports bars is that in the end, sports consume many yet mean nothing in the end (obviously not including the sports related stories that involve consequences outside of sports such as the money spent and criminal activities). These things have real consequences, such as speech codes on several campuses, and virtual suspension of due process for many students accused of violations, and of course what I have already mentioned regarding what the students are “learning” about themselves being the center of the universe. So yes, there is a real difference indeed.
The demise of meaningful dialogue and debate is what bothers me most. I concur whole heartedly with other posters who agree that these kids (I refuse to acknowledge them as adults) are sniveling, self-entitled, narrow-minded (oppressive in reality), crybabies who I hope get what they deserve in the end…barista jobs. This is just another avenue of the dumbing down of America, all in the name of inclusiveness, but at the expense of the freedoms so many have fought for.
I was the OP for a similar thread that linked an issue of the Skidmore College newspaper and wrote about my daughter’s concerns at the liberal LAC. I had no idea that conservative students were being ostracized to the point of fear to speak out. The term SJW is new to me. I feel like I’ve been living under a rock somehow, not realizing the potential negativity of activism on college campuses. Until just recently, I thought college was the “safe place” to learn about and develop EDUCATED opinions, primarily through dialogue and debate with others. How are these kids entering college with opinions so ingrained already?
There were only two schools on my daughter’s list that I had an inkling of over-the-top activism present and we discarded both in the end (well, one she was rejected from anyways). Had we to do it all over again, her list would have looked much different.
This is a REALLY long article, and I thought that a lot of it was pretty tedious. That said, it does provide some insight (and lots of personal anecdotes) about some of the events of the last year.
After reading this article, it is totally beyond me why anybody would want to attend Oberlin.
I would suggest for future reference that you rephrase that to something like “The ‘change’ would be to live in a world that meets the needs of more people, not just a select few.” As it stands, it sounds very utopian and is, in fact, impossible since some of these groups have diametrically opposed demands.
Because if you read the article, the trend is to make non-negotiable demands. Add this to the screaming students who don’t let others even talk, the ones that report students and want them expelled for hurting their feelings and making them feel “unsafe”, and of course never, ever letting a speaker with another point of view on campus or, in the times they slip through, the dozens of videos on Youtube that show these SJW’s as chanting and interrupting so much the speech never takes place. Conversation would be nice, actually, but they have to be willing to accept there are points of view that are valid other than their own. As others have said, playing this “you cannot know how I feel” card is not conversation.
Activism is just fine. I do not see this as activism; I see this as bullying, harassing, and in some cases, just violent behavior.
[Meanwhile, Back on Most Campuses…](Meanwhile, Back on Most Campuses - The American Prospect)
I have a son who graduated from Oberlin. I work as a college counselor and love Oberlin. Like all colleges, they’re not for everyone. But this is NOT an Oberlin issue. Another son recently graduated from Vanderbilt–which, I’m sure we can all agree, is a much different college than Oberlin. The same issues were happening on that campus as at Oberlin–and at Claremont -McKenna and Yale and…
So, @SJTH, you have a wider (and insider) perspective; what do you think can be done about this problem? I know my D17 doesn’t want to go to college and be intimidated out of her skin by screaming bullies who make non-negotiable demands. But she’s not conservative at all, just respects authority, and wants to go to a LAC! She’s freaked out.
I think it’s the same story it’s always been: there are vocal activists on college campuses who make sure to be heard. I keep telling students it’s the 60’s all over again, and certain social issues are the current hot button. The majority of students and professors on campus are going about their business. This discourse isn’t, generally speaking, affecting what is happening in the majority of classrooms–but if students are talking about more global issues, including how to talk (and listen and respectfully disagree) about global issues, I think it’s a good thing. The only thing that I don’t love is the idea that colleges should muzzle certain debate so nobody ever feels able to test/learn about/defend ALL sides of an issue. Students at Oberlin are doing what students at Oberlin have always done–which is thinking much more broadly about the world at large than some other LACs that might live in a “bubble” where things are more copacetic. I am a fan and huge proponent of liberal arts colleges, but they all have distinct personalities–visit, read the campus newspaper, subscribe to Instagram and Twitter feeds, ask questions–and she will find schools that fit her.
As a long-term Oberlin faculty member, I would support everything that SJTH is saying. It’s not as though the activists represented in the news don’t exist, but they do not represent the norm. I’ve taught at Oberlin for a very long time, and I’ve never met a screaming bully.
Based on anecdotal evidence (from all sorts of stories from my sons’ friends at various campuses across the country) I think it’s true that the impact of SJW’s on day to day life at most schools is nowhere as great as one might think reading these threads. But that’s not to say that there’s no impact.
@SJTH – It’s at best disingenuous to draw any parallels between SJW activity at Oberlin and at Vanderbilt. That said, I think that this year’s major incident at Vanderbilt was one of the funniest stories of this sort, where a blind girl disposing of her dog’s droppings sparked a major conflagration:
http://www.vanderbilthustler.com/news/article_c099309a-8e4c-11e5-8597-b34d2f4c6cbc.html
Although the social justice craziness is not “an Oberlin issue” (as you wrote), there’s no question that @JenJenJenJen 's daughter would have a greater chance of being impacted by this sort of thing at Oberlin than at other schools, including a number of other LAC’s.
Although not an LAC, the University of Chicago has taken a very strong stance against SJW bullying and attempted censorship. Their “Chicago Principles” (as they’ve come to be known) are a strong statement that the school will not allow debate to be shut down by demands for trigger warnings, etc., and are becoming a model for the universities that want to take a firm stand on this issue. http://mag.uchicago.edu/university-news/opening-inquiry
You can’t seriously claim that Oberlin would ever be a school that would adopt these principles.
Exclusive of the Karega controversy (yet to be resolved), earlier this year over 300 Jewish students, alumni, faculty, and parents charged in an open letter that there is a “divisive and damaging environment” at Oberlin for students who not only express support for Israel, but who simply want to eat Kosher food (as the Oberlin Kosher food co-op was expelled from the Oberlin Student Co-op Association).
https://sites.google.com/site/oberlinagainstantisemitism/
@dave72 – My sister (whose politics are way on the left) teaches at a major private university in New England. She has certainly encountered bullying in and out of her classes when it comes to the expression of certain views. Maybe it’s because she teaches public policy and maybe you teach something unrelated to social science/issues, but again, I think it’s a bit of a sales job here on this thread for you to imply that this sort of thing is not a potential issue for a kid considering Oberlin.
@JenJenJenJen I suggest you and your D17 look at the on-line student newspapers for the schools you are interested in. Go back through the archived issues for the 2015/2016 school year and look at the stories covered, including the comments to the stories. I think that will give you a good flavor for the campus climate.
My D is at a LAC (not Oberlin). I asked her how much these issues affect her day to day life. She drew a distinction between inside the classroom and outside the classroom. She said that so far she has not encountered these issues in the classroom, and her classes have included science, math, foreign language, history, politics and economics. It may be different in sociology, gender studies or ethnic studies classes but she has not yet taken those.
Outside the classroom SJW activities will affect you “as much as you let them.” She pointed out that the student body at her school is 52% domestic students of color and the campus has a profusion of affinity groups that are very active and also supported by the administration. So everywhere you go on campus: dorms, classroom buildings, dining halls, etc., you encounter posters, flyers and people speaking about issues (grievances) from an identity politics perspective. Plus students receive a barrage of emails constantly cautioning them against offending anyone and reminding them of the campus resources in case they are traumatized by something. You can just choose to walk on by and no “screaming bullies” will chase after you. If anything, it’s students of color who are more likely to be called out for not joining in the protests. To the extent she’s disappointed by the campus culture, it has to do with the stifling of debate and a respectful exchange of opinions, for the reasons I outlined in my post #15 above.
Thanks, @Corinthian – looking at student newspapers is a stellar idea. 
Echoing what @SJTH and @dave72 have said, my D is a rising second-year student at Oberlin who has been unaffected by the various issues that have been reported in the media. She hasn’t become involved in campus politics – so far her interests mainly lie elsewhere – but is glad that there is political activism at Oberlin. She tells us that the protests and controversies are a much, much, much smaller part of campus life than it would appear from what we read online. No negative encounters with activists inside or outside of class, and she has been very comfortable there as a Jewish student. Really she has been extremely happy at Oberlin – her classes have been interesting and challenging, and she has made good friends, explored her interests, and had a lot of fun in the process. I can’t believe how much she has grown in the past year.
I think the New Yorker decided to do an article on Oberlin because several things happened in a short period of time: the food issue which I think is a non-issue, the black student demands, and the disclosures about Karega, the assistant professor. Oberlin is historically significant as the first school to regularly admit women and blacks as students, so this might add to the readership of the article.
It troubles me about the black student demands because the college has tried to do what it can do financially to accommodate these students, and it provides a large amount of financial aid to them. But, if they are unhappy, the president said they will try to meet some of the demands. Seven hundred students signed in support of the demands, but this also means that 2200 did not. They are right that the school is a capitalist institution as is all of the other institutions I know of in the US… I suppose they could attend college in Cuba and North Korea, but it probably would not be as nice, and those colleges would probably not honor their demands.
I think it’s true that a white cannot fully understand what is like to be a black in this country, just as a non-soldier cannot know what it is like to serve 3 or 4 tours of duty in Iraq. But a white can serve as their ally, and at the same time try to understand what they are going through. They should not be questioned for doing so. Obviously, there are mental health professionals, white and black, who try to understand and treat the psychological problems.
I think the article reflects that faculty members, the administration, and fellow students are having to deal with students who want trigger warnings, do not want to hear statements which question their opinions, or are contrary to a position that because they are of a certain identity they know best., There is frustration. I think there is oversensitivity by 18 to 22 year olds who are just starting out. There will be challenges a lot worse than what happens at Oberlin. More to follow.
Nathan Heller, the writer of the article, spends much time interviewing black students, but he only hints at what why the students feel the way they do. When elected, President Obama was a source of inspiration and hope to these students. They thought there would be beneficial change. But, the country was not ready to accept Obamacare, and the Tea Party and an invigorated Republican party resulted from it. Obamacare was the best thing that ever happened to the Republican party. It took control of Congress and most of the states. In Michigan, for example, public and private unions were very instrumental in raising the standard of living of blacks into the middle class. It became a right-to-work state, which weakened the unions and made them unattractive to workers. The bottom line is that Republicans want vouchers for education, and could not get that passed in Michigan. Instead, they provided for unlimited charter schools which can be owned by private companies and receive state funding. This is destroying many public schools. The private company takes 30% off the top, and leaves the rest for education. There are no unions and limited compensation and rights for the teachers in charter schools… Black students graduating from Oberlin could get public school teaching jobs paying $70,000 per year with a nice public pension and health care. Now, it’s $45,000 per year in a charter, and they can be fired at any time. This is on top of the Republican legislature and governor decreasing transfer payments to the black-controlled cities, which besides the real estate crash( and reduced tax revenue) led to emergency financial managers in cities like Flint and the bankruptcy of Detroit. Everyone knows about the poisoned water in black-majority Flint. Cuts were also made to unemployment compensation and welfare programs. There are moves to cut the food stamp program. Republicans are also opposed to the minimum wage. Many black citizens depends on these. Their standard of living is decreasing.
Given all of this, these black students lump Oberlin as just another racist, capitalist tool. They no longer think Oberlin is relevant, even if they are given financial aid to attend there. They are disappointed at what is happening, and want revolutionary change to occur possibly to end the capitalist system. Their statements show that they want to organize and be in solidarity with their communities. While they are at Oberlin, they want more programs and classes geared toward them. They want to be able engage in activism, be paid for it, and not suffer low grades because of their activities. Oberlin does not agree with this, but is trying to make it more relevant to them.
Oberlin believes in exposing its students to intellectual life, and in training its students to write, think, speak, and in becoming honored members of their communities. If this clashes with their revolutionary agenda, and they are not interested in being part of a learning community. then they should go elsewhere.
this is not what my S signed up for when he was admitted to oberlin, he’s considering transferring at the end of his sophomore year. I am concerned he’s gong to find a similar atmosphere at other LACs
Just to recap the discussion in this thread for those who, like myself, are considering Oberlin and may be a bit worried:
All or almost all posters who either are students at Oberlin or have a son or daughter at Oberlin agree that the actual situation at Oberlin, inside and outside the classroom, is nothing like what the New Yorker article suggests. Extremist SJWs are a small, vocal minority as they are on any other LAC campus, and students are generally not bothered by the level of political activism at Oberlin. So, there is no need to panic and take Oberlin off the list.
I thought I’d point this out because cursorily reading the many comments over six long pages one might easily come away with a different impression. Hopefully, this will save someone else the time I just spent.
Well stated OxyAlumn…Just another view but I have extensively investigated these issues surrounding the NY’er article and find your perspective to be true. We are interested parents as our S is attending this fall.