University Elitists Force Ideology on Students

[warpus]

Based on what, Warpus?

Well, how is it a bona fide university if there's mandatory events you have to attend? A university is supposed to be a place where adults come to learn, not where children are told what to do. As such I would assume any "university" that holds mandatory pep rallies or assemblies likely isn't taken very seriously by the rest of academia.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Maybe not by academia, but if you are looking for a reliably indoctrinated do what you are told guy a Liberty grad may be your best choice.

 

[Arakhor]

If there are guest speakers every 3 days and attendence is mandatory, sure, I could see that being excessive.

I'm certainly not opposed to places having a conservative or religious mindset, if that's what they're after, but the schedule that Goodfella linked to does indeed feature said mandatory attendances three times a week. Further, if one of those convocations involves a presidential hopeful making his address to a packed hall and then the news reports on the high attendance, that says nothing other than the attendance was mandatory and that it seems to be a political stunt.

 

[BvBPL]

Well, how is it a bona fide university if there's mandatory events you have to attend? A university is supposed to be a place where adults come to learn, not where children are told what to do. As such I would assume any "university" that holds mandatory pep rallies or assemblies likely isn't taken very seriously by the rest of academia.

It is a very narrow view to suggest that educational goals must be accomplished via student autonomy and not communal events. Educational goals can be achieved either way.

As a small business owner, I would be more likely to hire someone who got his sheepskin from the Citadel (which does keep cadets on a short leash) than from Hampshire College (which allows students a very free rein). I’m not sure I would otherwise care whether or not a person had to attend mandatory seminars and such in college.

 

[caketastydelish]

"I had this one Marxist professor, therefore the academy is full of Marxists".

Well, two of them expressed marxists views. All the others may not have been full-out marxists but were simply left-wing. Liberty University is probably one of the few conservative institutions and we're all "lolololo look at them attending that event."

If it were the other way around it would have been a non-story. I mean, let's be honest here.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Well, two of them exposed marxists views. All the others may not have been full-out marxists but were simply left-wing. Liberty University is probably one of the few conservative institutions and we're all "lolololo look at them attending that event."

If it were the other way around it would have been a non-story. I mean, let's be honest here.

Define 'the other way around'.

I think you would be hard pressed to combine a liberal leaning university with a liberal candidate and a mandatory attendance event. I get what you are saying, but the reality is that the topic at hand is unique to the conservative world.

 

[Farm Boy]

Dunno Tim, I spent about 30 seconds on the Berkeley website, there is a "spring welcome" part with a mandatory event for new students at Berkley(Bear Pact) that seems to go over how they want people to screw and drink. Even if it's broken down differently or is instead at the class level, I think you're going to find lots of mandatory events that people are going to scream "indoctrination!!11!" about.

 

[warpus]

It is a very narrow view to suggest that educational goals must be accomplished via student autonomy and not communal events.

That's not the distinction I was making though, I was talking about mandatory attendance at pep rallies or assemblies. That's a high school level requirement at best.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Dunno Tim, I spent about 30 seconds on the Berkeley website for "spring welcome" and came up with a mandatory event for new students at Berkley(Bear Pact) that seems to go over how they want people to screw and drink. Even if it's broken down differently or is instead at the class level, I think you're going to find lots of mandatory events that people are going to scream "indoctrination!!11!" about.

Indoctrination for new students is common practice for sure. Plus, let's face facts, the uppermost thing on most new student's lists of things to find out is how to screw and drink.

 

[Farm Boy]

You really think college freshmen and transfers need to "find out how?" I mean shiiii Tim, I thought I was the one leading the sheltered, conservative, prairie life.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

You really think college freshmen and transfers need to "find out how?" I mean shiiii Tim, I thought I was the one leading the sheltered, conservative, prairie life.

Not so much "find out how" I guess, but when I went to college the concept of not having to sneak past parents was certainly a game changer. A brief jolt to the brain case to clear the way for new programming was definitely appropriate.

 

[JollyRoger]

At my state university, I found hanging out with the conservative student groups was a pretty good ticket to screwing and drinking.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I have next to zero sympathy when people whine about general education requirements. If there are guest speakers every 3 days and attendence is mandatory, sure, I could see that being excessive. But maybe one a week or every couple weeks? Oh shucky darn kids, the world contains some stuff that you aren't orgasmic about. Go sing the sea shanties and learn something.

My point is that if the college or university is doing its job properly, the students should normally be concerned with things like attending classes, studying, participating in sports or extracurricular groups, the occasional party, maybe a part-time job, writing papers, and so on. There was exactly one compulsory thing I was expected to attend for one of my classes: My French instructor assigned us to go to the Student Association film night when the movie they were showing was "La Cage aux Folles." I got into trouble because I hadn't gone (couldn't afford both the admission and taxi ride home after since it would have ended after the last bus). The other time an instructor mentioned an event held on the campus that he felt we should attend was when my sociology instructor thought it would be a good idea if we went to the all-candidates' forum for the provincial election that was going on that year. The forum was going to be held in the auditorium at RDC. Out of a class of 100 or so students, I think fewer than a half dozen of us went (I'd have gone anyway). It certainly wasn't mandatory for us, though.

That's not the distinction I was making though, I was talking about mandatory attendance at pep rallies or assemblies. That's a high school level requirement at best.

The last time I went to a school with mandatory assemblies, I was in junior high. And even then I sometimes found ways to duck out of them (it was nice to have a reputation among the teachers as a helpful student who didn't mind running errands or doing some clerical stuff - this was back before even photocopiers were common and a lot of stuff had to be copied by hand - the teachers trusted me to help with some of that tedious work, and it got me out of a lot of boring assembly crap).

You really think college freshmen and transfers need to "find out how?" I mean shiiii Tim, I thought I was the one leading the sheltered, conservative, prairie life.

Dunno about other institutions, but the focus at RDC has been that "we know students want to party and drink, etc. so we'll just try our best to help them do it safely." No judgments - but please stay as safe and healthy as possible.

As a small business owner, I would be more likely to hire someone who got his sheepskin from the Citadel (which does keep cadets on a short leash) than from Hampshire College (which allows students a very free rein). I’m not sure I would otherwise care whether or not a person had to attend mandatory seminars and such in college.

Personally, I'd hire the person best qualified for the job, but that's just me.

 

[Masada]

Well, two of them exposed marxists views.

Do you mean espoused? Because exposed sounds sort of thought policey to me.

All the others may not have been full-out marxists but were simply left-wing.

Is that left wing relative to you? Or to someone with mainstream political views?

Liberty University is probably one of the few conservative institutions and we're all "lolololo look at them attending that event."

I don't think Liberty University is a conservative institution in the Burkean sense. Like most Evangelical institutions it seems to be quite openly reactionary.

 

[caketastydelish]

1) actually meant to say expressed. Careless mistake.

2) my political views are more left-wing than that of the average american, but reactionary compared to the average poster on CFC.

3) By American mainstream standards Liberty is simply just conservative. Not that I even agree with them, but that's not with this is about. I'm just saying there are left wing rallies/events all the time but the conservative one makes a big stink.

 

[BvBPL]

That's not the distinction I was making though, I was talking about mandatory attendance at pep rallies or assemblies. That's a high school level requirement at best.

So it sounds like a high school thing and therefore non-collegiate and therefore what? The education automatically suffers because there is an activity that falls within the penumbra of secondary school? That doesn't follow without An additional logical step that's missing from your argument.

How does the inclusion of an activity generally, but not exclusively, associated with high school diminish the quality if the education received?

Personally, I'd hire the person best qualified for the job, but that's just me.

I am going to call you first if I ever need an hr manager.

 

[W|M]

All the others may not have been full-out marxists but were simply left-wing.

Oh, the horror!

 

[warpus]

So it sounds like a high school thing and therefore non-collegiate and therefore what? The education automatically suffers because there is an activity that falls within the penumbra of secondary school? That doesn't follow without An additional logical step that's missing from your argument.

How does the inclusion of an activity generally, but not exclusively, associated with high school diminish the quality if the education received?

I'm just saying that a "university" that treats its students as kids and not adults likely isn't taken very seriously by .. well, anyone, and the degree you get is likely not going to be of a very high quality.

I would suspect that any university doing this has an agenda more than anything... Another reason to not really trust them as an accredited institution.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I'm just saying that a "university" that treats its students as kids and not adults likely isn't taken very seriously by .. well, anyone, and the degree you get is likely not going to be of a very high quality.

I would suspect that any university doing this has an agenda more than anything... Another reason to not really trust them as an accredited institution.

Since most employers treat their employees like kids and want them to like it this seems counter intuitive.

 

[warpus]

Doesn't matter, a University is a place of academia first and foremost.