In a Letter to the Editor in the Wall Street Journal (August 30, 2016), Bob Lambert of Brookfield CT suggested a “‘snowflake rating’ system that will guide parents into selecting colleges that actually teach, instead of indoctrinate.” Mr. Lambert goes on to rate the University of Chicago as the only college that gets zero snowflakes, while he gives Yale, Cornell, and Williams five snowflakes, noting that many, many more colleges also deserve this five-snowflake rating.
So Mr. Lambert got the ball rolling. Anyone care to rate other colleges / universities with this system?
Nope as I doubt many folks have first hand experiences at more than 1, 2 or possibly 3 colleges, including Bob Lambert of Brookfield, CT.
Almost as tiresome to me as someone acting like a snowflake is the rush by others to label them as such.
I see no problem with people giving their opinions / ratings on the perceived levels of free speech / availability of safe spaces on college campuses, even if their personal experience is only 1-3 colleges. Such opinions wouldn’t be any different than most the opinions offered on many other topics in this forum.
Six snowflakes for Northwestern. Their president, Morton Shapiro, told students at the recent convocation that people who don’t think trigger warnings are necessary are “lunatics”.
http://dailynorthwestern.com/2016/09/21/campus/schapiro-to-freshmen-people-criticizing-safe-spaces-drives-me-nuts/
Morton Shapiro used to be the president of Williams. He must be very influential when it comes to defending snowflakes.
I’m sick of the conservative line about how colleges students are “snowflakes” being “indoctrinated” by the “thought police” blah blah blah. It’s totally exaggerated. Bob Lambert of Brookfield CT is basically whining about the fact that he thinks his side is losing the culture war and that must mean something nefarious is happening on our campuses. It’s the same kind of crap the John Birch Society used to spew in the 1950s.
Nor does the fact that a school has more than its share of liberal activists, or even how loud they are, have a damn thing to do whether the students are being “actually being taught” in their classes. I would put the quality and rigor of education provided at Yale, Cornell and Williams up against any college in the nation.
And I’m a graduate of the University of Chicago.
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There is a snowflake rating system at the Foundation of Individual Rights in Education.
The following schools get a “green light” for minimal restrictions on free speech.
Arizona State University
Black Hills State University
Carnegie Mellon University
Cleveland State University
Duke University
Eastern Kentucky University
George Mason University
Georgetown College
Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne
Mississippi State University
Oregon State University
Plymouth State University
Purdue University
Purdue University Northwest: Calumet Campus
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
State University of New York – Brockport
The College of William and Mary
University of Chicago
University of Florida
University of Maryland – College Park
niversity of Mississippi
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
University of North Florida
University of Pennsylvania
University of Tennessee – Knoxville
University of Utah
University of Virginia
Western State Colorado University
@ThankYouforHelp , ‘safe spaces’ and other snowflake related ills do a real disservice to students who will eventually have to enter the workforce and the real world. In addition, it has very real consequences for university faculty and staff and anyone who references their work. Conservative leaning faculty do not get promoted, gain tenure, and an entire spectrum of academic research goes unpublished. Graduate students end up with less objective dissertation committees as well. With much of the research skewed left and based on faulty assumptions and principles, university research which is used creates inefficient policies and programs in the government and the private sector.
In addition, it undermines public support for universities and faculty are dismissed as ‘ivory tower elites’ and out of touch theorists. That would not happen with real debate.
This problem is much more insidious than the press would have you believe and has very serious consequences.
Can you give some examples of this? Particularly unpublished research.
Nobody does indoctrination like conservative Christian churches.
That said, it’s no surprise that colleges lean left–statistics show that people with advanced education lean to the left, after all, and that’s who gets to teach in colleges.
Consider me a deplorable sick of the snowflake mentality. the liberal bias at America’s colleges is “exaggerated?” Please. The Bolshevik revolution might have killed millions and died in the Soviet Union, but its fans are alive and well in our universities. Trigger warning: laissez faire capitalism, limited government, Constitution, laws, American flag, Founding Fathers. If a college student put that list of words on his dormitory door at some colleges he would be accused of “hate.” The word “Trump” induces apoplexy. This is a good example of a 5 snowflake ranking:
Thanks but that article does not mention any research at all, let alone any that isn’t published. Also didn’t seen any evidence listed, even anecdotal, which in which conservative professors are not given tenure.
You obviously did not read the book. I suggest you do, then get back to us.
I asked for examples. You posted an article in response. The article talks about the book but mentions no examples of the items you posted.
I asked for examples with good intent so I could consider your position. If you don’t have any proof, that’s fine, and of course you are entitled to your opinion. But without concrete examples you are not going to convince anyone else.
Plus, you are being snarky. Not a good combination.
@Postmodern - You asked for evidence of “Conservative leaning faculty do not get promoted, gain tenure, and an entire spectrum of academic research goes unpublished.” I provided a link to a 256 page book published by Oxford University Press on the topic. You dismissed the book out of hand in a snarky way that indicates you have zero interest in being presented with information that does not fit your worldview.
As for convincing people, CC is not a debate society. Good day.
I did not dismiss the book. I asked for examples and you posted an article. I read the article, and mentioned the it has no examples and you said “read the book {it refers to} and get back to us”.
As for having zero interest, how does asking for evidence and stating, clearly, that I am looking for it with an open mind? To be clear, if valid academic research was not being published because of the political opinions of a professor, I would not like that, and I would want to know where that was happening.
Unfortunately, I still do not know.
Not sure where the debate is, since I have not taken a side, and only asked for evidence so I might form an opinion. I think your comment indicates you can’t support the assertion you made with facts. If that is the case, then I think your decision to exit the discussion is well made.
No one in this board is your personal Siri. Read the book.
:-t :-t
“Trigger Warning: This discussion may contain triggering and/or sensitive material. Snarky comments, random swipes at “conservative Christians”, poor puns, climate change (snowflakes, everywhere!) demands for “documentation”, and a general attitude of disdain are some topics mentioned within this thread. If you feel triggered, please know there are resources to support you.”
%-( X_X
You know how when you post a thread on CC containing only a link with no explanation, you get reminded to summarize or quote the important parts, because nobody’s going to spend their time reading an entire article, report, whatever in order to be able to participate in the conversation?
How could you expect someone to go quickly read an entire book and get back to you?