My research on Pomona has highlighted that it is a VERY inclusive community and supportive of a highly diverse student body. It also seems like the school has promoted free speech and debate. Given this reputation, I would hope the school leaders would be able to avoid unreasonable demands from small, vocal groups of activists not acting in the interests of the entire community. These latest developments have me worried (see links). I am searching for a small, liberal arts school that supports inclusion but also doesn’t shy away from active debate across a wide spectrum of beliefs and views. I’m thinking of maybe not applying now given these developments. Thoughts?
Second link on this topic: http://claremontindependent.com/president-oxtoby-caves-in-to-student-demands-at-pomona-college/#comment-7304
Why are you framing this as a free speech issue? Take a look at The First Amendment: it protects the right of free assembly as well as the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.
Because this situation follows a pattern of similar demands at other colleges where contrary opinions were not only opposed but aggressively so. See Yale as an example. Maybe just one school will frame the discussion much more fully (CMC actually is on this path), in terms of embracing a wide range of diverse backgrounds, races, beliefs, etc. That’s when free speech will truly be embraced. Speech at many schools today is far from free, and this fits the pattern.
Loved this comment on the first article:
“One of the most shameful moment in Pomona’s history. Never has this place been more rife with narrow-mindedness and racial prejudice. As a POC, I refuse to be part of this divisive and biased campaign. Hope by 2025, Pomona students have a better understanding what college is and why they are here, and stop complaining they feel marginalized in their science class because the professor is a white or a male.”
I think you’re confusing the academic ideal of “a free exchange of ideas” with the Free Speech Clause of The Constitution. There’s nothing in the latter that says people have to agree with each other, or even listen to each other. There’s nothing in it that says people have to speak softly or respectfully when addressing someone older than they are (or, younger, for that matter.) As one jurist wrote many generations ago, “The First Amendment ends at the tip of the other person’s nose”, meaning you can get pretty close in someone’s face to express an opinion. What you’re describing may be obnoxious on many levels, and may bear some similarities to hate-speech. But, it isn’t a matter of Free Speech.
Note that the Claremont Independent amended its headline to read that Oxtoby “signs off on” instead of “caves in to” student demands. As these things go, I don’t think the Pomona group’s “demands” were that unreasonable. Unlike at CMC, no one was calling for the resignation of any administrators or complaining about Halloween costumes. The Pomona demands included things like more help navigating the financial aid process, more support for DACA students, and better staffing at the counseling center that serves the 7C campus, which has had a 6-week waiting period for appointments. More diverse faculty is a goal everyone supports but doesn’t happen as fast as everyone would like. Also, two of the most prominent writers for the Claremont Independent are Pomona students who have both made it onto Fox News and had their work cited in the WSJ and NYTimes. So I think free speech is still alive at Pomona.
@GregorB, the issues of free speech and inclusivity are talked about a great deal here. Personally, I view much of the focus on free speech as an attempt to sidestep the issue of race (see: http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/race-and-the-free-speech-diversion), but I’ll put that opinion aside here in the faith that you’re looking for information about Pomona rather than to start a debate.
Basically, the political environment at Pomona is somewhat more progressive than most liberal arts colleges (which set a pretty progressive baseline themselves), especially on racial issues, and the debates you see on campus will mirror that. There is still plenty of debate on campus; it’s just between the moderate left and the far left rather than the right and the left. The outside media tends not to be able to recognize this because of the standpoint they are coming from, and much of their coverage is distorted as a result (as far as campus media goes, TSL is usually far more in line with the general campus views than the more conservative Claremont Independent). The fact that CMC is nearby also helps encourage debate across the political spectrum.
@sdkb01 I’m sure you’re right that TSL is more in line with general campus views, but basically it’s so in line that it’s boring. At least the Claremont Independent provokes heated discussions.
Not as far to the left as Reed, where the only political arguments are between the Socialists and the Communists.
How can the atmosphere at Pomona be more “progressive” if they have problems with Free Speech?
Wow that first article pissed me off. “at least half of all the positions must go to minorities.” gimme a break. if these are most of the kids at this school i don’t wanna go there.
My daughter is an under represented minority student at Pomona, and is having a great time. She thinks that some of the students are mistaken in thinking that these are predominantly racial issues. She says it is more a socioeconomic class issue, where kids who are not used to navigating the halls of academia or dealing with the rich and privileged feel uncomfortable at times. There is a culture shock for some which causes a defensive attitude. That is not to say that there is no racism, or that the institution cannot be insensitive or negligent at times, but it is a better environment, in her opinion, then most places a student could go when considering the racial climate on campus. She says the usual casual racism present everywhere in America can be found, but realizes it won’t be defeated by legislating it away.
While my daughter is a liberal individual from a liberal thinking family, she says there is not enough diversity of opinion on campus, making Pomona students less aware of the diversity of political discourse across the country than they should be.
For those upset about the articles, I’m not sure there is enough information there to form an opinion. What does “signing off” mean? Is Oxtoby promising to follow these demands or promising to consider them? And compared to the turbulent protests on college campuses in the 60’s and 70’s, this was a pretty trivial event. College students are forever protesting. It is part of the educational process that has been there for centuries. College kids are going to try out a variety of challenges to the current order, do some good and make some mistakes, and learn from it. They will 30 years from now complain about the new generation on campus. A perpetual cycle.
As far as worrying about Oxtoby, the average student on campus will have little to no interaction with him. He doesn’t make the college what it is, one of the premier educational institutions in the country. The students and the professors are the real Pomona, and anyone attending will be surrounded by individuals of the highest intellect, both as teachers and students. A great place to go to school. Not perfect, but there is no perfect.
@GregorB try looking at Carlton College in Minnesota. Its a bit bigger than Pomona, pretty healthy environment, and less politically screwed up, I would say than any school in California or east coast as far as this new trend to control freedom of speech at Ivies etc. Very liberal college campuses no longer believe in freedom of speech if it is offending any of the major groups that are now being heavily recruited on these same campuses! . We all know what groups I am talking about, students of color, GIRLS!!, and anyone who has a lot to say about their sexuality. I wonder if celibates are ever going to be a protected group on US campuses ? I would advocate for celibate by choice students to be a special group. THEY ARE SPECIAL.