It seems that, rather than simply being a bastion for liberal thought, colleges are now a bastion for students to get their way now, professors be damned. Yes, there are now professors who are SCARED to upset their students.
Students are getting professors fired, or just not brought back, for “offensive” texts on syllabi by authors such as Mark Twain. I’m sorry, but I read Tom Sawyer in JUNIOR HIGH, and it’s now gotten to where that author is not acceptable in college? Moving on, don’t forget that students actually had the nerve to suggest their finals be put off or cancelled due to their “emotional distress” over the Ferguson, MO situation. Yes, kids at IVY LEAGUE schools were so traumatized at watching a city tear it’s self apart over a criminal that they wrote a letter saying they believed they had a right to this, and were “shocked” when it didn’t happen.
The crux of the matter is simple, although I doubt many colleges will see it, or if they do, act on it. TREAT THESE STUDENTS LIKE THE ADULTS THEY ARE! When they scream about Twain being on the syllabus, tell them to grow up and read what is assigned. When they scream that being assigned something that doesn’t 100% mesh with their political leanings or other beliefs is “oppressing them,” and they ignore that only being assigned what they agree with is doing what they accuse to those who don’t agree with them, they need to be KICKED OUT! A college education is not a right, it’s a privilege! That’s why it’s not free!
We’ve moved from the era of students working their butts off to afford college, to the era of students studying “the social and political affects of renaissance French poetry” being shocked that their degree doesn’t automatically get them a six figure job, to the era of students getting professors fired for teaching the subject matter.
So, the question is simple and simple to answer, for me at least. The answer is to stop coddling these ADULTS who want to whine like toddlers denied a third cookie when they’re assigned something they don’t like, and to stand behind the professor. Sure, verify if an assignment is reported, and if it’s not relevant to the class, that’s different, but trust me, those will be rare items on this list. As for those who won’t give up the “fight to make sure they aren’t offended” OFFEND THEM BY KICKING THEM OUT OF COLLEGE, then when they sue, LAUGH THEM OUT OF COURT! Only when FORCED to work for what they want will any of them have any chance of actually growing a brain. Many won’t, and they’ll live on the dole and get high every day, but some will grow up and become useful adults, isn’t that worth it?