Proposal for a new UPenn Consititution (best, scholarship, professors, require)
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I doubt this is adopted, but it is great to see it getting the support of some faculty across the country.
I’ve posted the intro below. The details are at the link. I signed my name at a UPenn alum.
Quote:
When Benjamin Franklin founded the University of Pennsylvania in 1749, his objective was to establish an institution dedicated to practical education and the advancement of society. His vision would make Penn distinct from peer institutions, like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, which at the time were affiliated with religious denominations. As such, for many years, no comparable institution existed in North America.
We propose a future for Penn that, while modern in its ambitions, is true to Franklin’s enlightenment values. Many institutions today deliver research and teaching mixed with other social and political agendas, somewhat like the religious agendas of elite Universities of the 1700s.
To recommit to Franklin’s vision, Penn’s sole aim going forward will be to foster excellence in research and education. This aim is in the best long-term interest of all members of society. Penn’s strong focus on academic excellence, curiosity, and innovation has historically attracted scholars and students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Today, as Penn’s competitors struggle to define their mission and lose their focus on this manner of excellence, Penn has a unique opportunity to emerge as a globally leading academic institution in an ever more competitive international landscape.
In this document, we present a summary of a vision for Penn based on a set of common principles that will help it achieve this ambitious goal and stand the test of a turbulent time.
The political and institutional neutrality requirement will be the subject of debate. And even if that requirement is "at the level of the administration," does that include just the president and his cabinet? Employees of the president and his cabinet? Or does that include a wide range of university employees? And commentary on societal and political events; a "societal comment" could include a harmless social media post on, say, Kim Kardashian's dress. Is that subject to penalty if a university employee makes that comment? And while the goal of this statement is to "[resist] political temptations," one asks if the drafters of this statement have a political motivation of their own?
Oh, and a final question: Would Amy Wax be able to remain at Penn, under this statement?
The political and institutional neutrality requirement will be the subject of debate. And even if that requirement is "at the level of the administration," does that include just the president and his cabinet? Employees of the president and his cabinet? Or does that include a wide range of university employees? And commentary on societal and political events; a "societal comment" could include a harmless social media post on, say, Kim Kardashian's dress. Is that subject to penalty if a university employee makes that comment? And while the goal of this statement is to "[resist] political temptations," one asks if the drafters of this statement have a political motivation of their own?
Oh, and a final question: Would Amy Wax be able to remain at Penn, under this statement?
This is not at the level of individual professors, nor should it be. That’s the entire point. Universities need to embrace viewpoint diversity and they are currently failing at this. Amy Wax, though I thoroughly disagree with a lot of what she says, should absolutely remain if her scholarship is seen as valuable.
I think it would be great if they could actually do it but it will depend on the students. The issue today with woke agendas is that they are embraced by the majority of the current generation of students. If these students cannot see how the saturation of politics and social agendas in academia has gotten out of hand and become anathema to the free speech that is supposed to exist on university campuses, then the policy will fail regardless of its merits.
I think it would be great if they could actually do it but it will depend on the students. The issue today with woke agendas is that they are embraced by the majority of the current generation of students. If these students cannot see how the saturation of politics and social agendas in academia has gotten out of hand and become anathema to the free speech that is supposed to exist on university campuses, then the policy will fail regardless of its merits.
Well put!
It would be a start at the college level, but unfortunately the agenda has already spread to K-12. So, by the time students get to college they are almost fully indoctrinated.
Still, one institution at a time would be a good thing.
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