This seems like very dangerous road for HE to go down, avoiding topics that will naturally be upsetting to the majority seems like an end-round around addressing issues of social justice. Would like to hear what others think of this shift in what is permissible to discuss in college classrooms.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/trigger-warnings-the-latest-threat-to-academic-freedom/article17835103/?cmpid=rss1
I agree with you that it would be a dangerous road to go down indeed. I do hope that we (nobody here but us academics) will not adopt this policy. No matter how hard parents, politics or administrators might try to push us in this direction. How should we educate our students when we are not allowed to talk about anything that might offend some persons religious / political views or upsets this person in any other way. No swear words in literature classes? Or no sex? No wars, plagues in history classes? No evolution? We are suppose to prepare our students for the world and all its wonders ou there and not to help them living in their very own secluded versions of it.
I thought you might find this article by Canadian journalist Rex Murphy of interest.
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/04/12/rex-murphy-on-ayaan-hirsi-ali-universities-have-become-factories-for-reinforcing-opinion/
Well said Denis. Coddling, especially based on fear, creates more fear and less learning.
Debra,
I would think a sign stating warning ideology of whiteness activly being practiced. A little long I grant you. I think the Zeuz Leonardo puts it best; NCLB is not what it appears to be. It's real meaning is no cocassion left behind. We certainly see that troughout higher ed. from teneur highering practices, to rank of professorships, definations of subject studies, i,e program, dept, college. Western Civilization as required, ect.
Lets work on the sign.
In solideraty
Douglas