What can we do?
Transparency, wisdom, and accountability
I’ve been posting about the fundamental problems at ASU for two years. Those two years are the product of 25 years of knowing ASU from the insight and various roles within ASU. What is my plan? Do I simply need to fill my time and decide to do it with Substack?
My motivation is personal and philosophical. It is personal for two reasons: I have children who are either in college or headed to college, and I want them to get a good education that teaches them to think critically and be wise. It is also personal because I see how radical leftist ideology has destroyed the lives of many of the students at ASU.
It is philosophical in that the foundational beliefs of radical leftist ideology, as expressed in Marxist social justice, DEI, the Kinsey and Money sex philosophy, conflict theory of history, decolonizing and settler-colonialism activism, and fear-mongering about Christians and conservatives, all rest on false beliefs, and therefore, they cannot equip their students with wisdom.
It is natural to ask, “Anderson, can we do anything, or are we just running against the wind?” We can do things, and what we can do is not dependent on outward events like elections. However, Trump’s victory means that the federal government will also reform the American university system. I know this is also on the agenda for our Arizona Legislators, and I hope it is in the state where you live.
Here is my list, and I believe it is reinforced by what Trump and state legislators will do:
Transparency in teaching: Make course content and syllabi public three months before a class begins. This allows students and parents to make informed decisions about choosing professors and classes.
Wisdom in teaching: Students and parents can ask potential professors if they are wise. They should ask the professor (respectfully) if they know what is good for humans. If they do not, then they cannot teach you or your child how to be wise.
Accountability in teaching: Professors at state universities are responsible for their state and their students/families. Sometimes, this looks like #2. But it can also mean legal accountability. For example, if a gender studies professor taught a student that the solution to gender dysphoria is to cut off parts of their body, that professor stepped over the line and could be taken to court.
Transparency, wisdom, and accountability. Each of us can do these things; we do not need to wait on a politician. However, the federal and state governments (if you’re in Arizona) will also hold these universities accountable, which will multiply our own efforts.
What should a humanities education accomplish for you or your child? Understanding this will reveal just how far ASU's humanities program has declined.
I believe the only way to solve the problems of the universities in this country is to cut off the flow of funding that comes from foreign countries, organizations, corporations, etc that support all of the things you mentioned that are destroying the minds of our youth. Follow the money and cut it off! They also need to have a diverse faculty. Not just one group of faculty members that all push the same agenda. The professors are there to instruct and not push their beliefs on the students.