Rant for the day.(Politics in the classroom.)

[Ryanh1801]

Why in the hell do college professors feel they need to try and bring their political views into the class room? This year has been really really bad, it does not help that I go to a very liberal University. I really don't want to hear the professors opinion anyways, no mater what there political view is. In summer semester I got called a right wing red neck, gun nut, by a professors. Today I had to sit through a sociology lecture where the teacher went off on a rant about how conservatives and rich people are scum of the earth and destroying this country. If it wasn't for the fact that I have to get through all my classes to get out of college this summer I would have walked out. All but one of my professors this semester (which has only been in session for a week) has made some sort of cheap shot at conservatives.

 

[Beerrific]

When profs start talking politics I like to sit there and make perfect eye contact and stare with a look of disgust on my face. Does it help? Nah. Just fun. Personally I think if it contains (non professional) opinion and does not pertain to the the lecture it is inappropriate. Drop a anonymous letter to the department.

The school I go to now must have a strict policy about political banter in the class, I have had none of it. Period.

The school I went to previously must not have. We got quite a bit. All liberal, no right wingers.

 

[Lil' Sparky]

I hear ya. There's no reason for that.

You should've picked a more conservative school.

 

[Mutilated1]

Might as well just make the best of it. Sit there and keep your opinions to yourself no matter how much you think the professor is an ass.

Get your grades and get out of there.

When the alumni association is asking for your donations after you graduate you'll be in a better position to say something.

No sense in letting some pinko bedwetter's stupid ideas interfere with your graduation.

 

[Ryanh1801]

I hear ya. There's no reason for that.

You should've picked a more conservative school.

None that offer my degree.

Yeah the letter would be good, except for the professor that called me the "right wing, red neck, gun nut" was the head of the dept.

 

[Mutilated1]

Just remember his name and the day he called you that, and any of the details concerning the incident you can remember. Trust me, there will come a day after you graduate that the school will be asking you for money, you can have your say about his remarks then. Get your degree and you'll be a lot better off than some pantywaste liberal bookworm. Living well is the best revenge.

 

[the_bird]

Thing is, you're going to be dealing with people with different political and religious and social opinions throughout your life, so might as well get used to it. My first economics professor was a socialist, didn't change anything for me in the end (that was before he killed his wife). One of my wife's last classes for her Masters' was with a youngish prof who apprently viewed EVERYTHING though the prism of feminism.

Perhaps the most important thing you ought to be getting out of school is the ability to understand the other person's argument (even if you disagree with it) and be able to thoroughly analyze it against the evidence and your own beliefs. I don't subscribe to many "liberal" viewpoints (as regards to economic policies), but I've got to be able to thoroughly understand where I find them to be wrong for that to be of any use.

 

[EdWort]

Today I had to sit through a sociology lecture where the teacher went off on a rant about how conservatives and rich people are scum of the earth and destroying this country.

Don't let them bring you down to their level of their miserable lives. They are simply jealous of successful people and if it were not for tenure, most of them would be on welfare. Like the Bird says, you will have to learn to deal with all kinds of people in life, so get used to it. Just don't let them make you share in their misery.

 

[Ryanh1801]

Thing is, you're going to be dealing with people with different political and religious and social opinions throughout your life, so might as well get used to it. My first economics professor was a socialist, didn't change anything for me in the end (that was before he killed his wife). One of my wife's last classes for her Masters' was with a youngish prof who apprently viewed EVERYTHING though the prism of feminism.

Perhaps the most important thing you ought to be getting out of school is the ability to understand the other person's argument (even if you disagree with it) and be able to thoroughly analyze it against the evidence and your own beliefs. I don't subscribe to many "liberal" viewpoints (as regards to economic policies), but I've got to be able to thoroughly understand where I find them to be wrong for that to be of any use.

I agree completely but, there is a time and a place for everything. IMO. A class unless its a political science class, is not the place. I guess my main problem is that most of the time, the stuff has nothing to do with the class.

 

[EdWort]

You can always go out to www.ratemyprofessor.com and vent your spleen. I think it would be a cathartic experience for you.

Just PM me the link to your rating.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

We have that problem here too. I never went to school at UW, but I lived in Madison for a year. It was the worst year of my life. In case you didn't know it, Madison is known as "the Berkely of the Midwest. The problem with that city is that it's a college town AND a state capital. That's a bad combination. I couldn't do anything, not even go to a bar with the softball team after the game, without someone shoving a petition in my face, and DEMANDING that I sign it. I swear I was the only conservative in that whole city. Boy am I glad I don't live there anymore.

 

[Ryanh1801]

You can always go out to www.ratemyprofessor.com and vent your spleen. I think it would be a cathartic experience for you.

Just PM me the link to your rating.

I use pickaprof.com, it cost but list the real grades. Might have to sign up for ratemyprof to vent.

 

[EdWort]

In case you didn't know it, Madison is known as "the Berkely of the Midwest. The problem with that city is that it's a college town AND a state capital. That's a bad combination. I couldn't do anything, not even go to a bar with the softball team after the game, without someone shoving a petition in my face, and DEMANDING that I sign it.

I hear ya. Austin (the San Francisco of Texas) is in the same situation, but it is still Texas and shoving anything in your face here risks pulling back a bloody stump.

 

[Brewpastor]

Do you have an opportunity to offer a differing opinion? Or is critical thinking not encouraged.

 

[Ryanh1801]

Do you have an opportunity to offer a differing opinion? Or is critical thinking not encouraged.

Todays class no, I tried to say something, and her response was "We do not have time for discussion" She is from France so I think that explains some of it. The guy that called me the right wing,red neck, gun nut, was always up for a good debate, that is the only reason I did not completely hate that class. He is a public defender for death penalty cases so he more than anything just wanted to get into arguments. But in most cases they do not want to hear the "other side". Or their comments are so ridicules that I really don't want to waste my breath. Such as my scuba class im taking this semester, teacher was talking about the dangers of it, that lead to the comment "Of course I have seen crazier things happen, like Bush not being impeached yet".

 

[olllllo]

You know what side of the fence I sit, however, I think you're going to hear alot more of this in the next few years until the political pendulum swings the other way (and it will).

There's a tremendous amount of anger over the fact that a few years ago, if you were to question the policies of this administration, your patriotism was questioned.
Now any tangent is an opportunity to vent on whatever it was you didn't say then. There's a certain liberal guilt about that as well.

As for what to do, I think the_bird was right on.

 

[rdwj]

When I think of all the good teachers I've had in my life, I can honestly say that 95% of them were industry professionals that moved to teaching in semi-retirement. The ones that live in the system have absolutely no idea what the real world is like.

I'm not saying either side is completely correct, but the extremes of either side are dangerous.

 

[EdWort]

When I think of all the good teachers I've had in my life, I can honestly say that 95% of them were industry professionals that moved to teaching in semi-retirement.

Those are the best kind of teachers. Those who have lived it and had successes and now are transferring the knowledge to new soon to be professionals. These kind of teachers are priceless in todays university environment as you find a lot of them teaching at community colleges.

 

[Ryanh1801]

When I think of all the good teachers I've had in my life, I can honestly say that 95% of them were industry professionals that moved to teaching in semi-retirement. The ones that live in the system have absolutely no idea what the real world is like.

I'm not saying either side is completely correct, but the extremes of either side are dangerous.

yep, I still think the best Cj teachers I had where at CC, one that really got me wanting to pursue CJ was a Marine for 4 year and a police officer for 20+ years. I took everything he had to say to heart because he knew what he was talking about, and told us stuff that could save our lives some day. Teachers at the university are all PHD's that have never had a job outside of the university, great if I wanted to go to law school or something, but not good for what I am wanting to do.

 

[Brewpastor]

As for what to do, I think the_bird was right on.

I think so too. Listening and working towards understanding of different points of view are foundational to learning and growing. It is not about agreeing or arguing, rather it is about critical thinking. IMLO

 

[rdwj]

These kind of teachers are priceless in todays university environment as you find a lot of them teaching at community colleges.

The night school MBA program I'm in now is LOADED with them. There is a huge difference between them and the ones I had for my undergrad work. I think most of the MBA programs these days are pretty similar and that's a GOOD thing. I makes for a good, practical education.

 

[david_42]

One of the reasons people teach at the university level is so they can yammer about politics safely. But politics are everywhere. I bailed off of a greyhound forum because the guy running it was a "right wing, red neck, gun nut" and very, very proud of it. And completely intolerant of "politics" on the board, except his, of course. I'll put up with his politics, but not when he stomps on other people's opinions.

 

[rdwj]

One of the reasons people teach at the university level is so they can yammer about politics safely. But politics are everywhere. I bailed off of a greyhound forum because the guy running it was a "right wing, red neck, gun nut" and very, very proud of it. And completely intolerant of "politics" on the board, except his, of course. I'll put up with his politics, but not when he stomps on other people's opinions.

Honestly, I prefer the politics be avoided most of the time on boards. Here and there is ok, but no political or religious pontificating is a great rule of thumb.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Perhaps the most important thing you ought to be getting out of school is the ability to understand the other person's argument (even if you disagree with it) and be able to thoroughly analyze it against the evidence and your own beliefs.

Well said! And I'll advocate speaking up (a little, and politely) when it's appropriate in order to facilitate the argument to begin with. It doesn't have to be a shouting match, but a debate or discussion may help you to understand the other point of view. You'll rarely get any resolution on these issues because people tend to be very stubborn and one-dimensional when it comes to political views. Go into the argument with that attitude, and it will serve you well.

A short anecdote from my college days in a Military Arts & Science class with a female prof:
(about 10 years ago when it was en vogue to be "politically correct," and it was cool to be "offended")

We were studying prominent military leaders and their philosophies on leadership. One was Admiral Stockdale, who had a number of "tenets of leadership." One of these tenets was to be a "father figure." The prof said, "or as I like to say, 'parental unit.'" To which I remarked under my breath, "That's the dumbest f'ing thing I've ever heard." She heard part of my comment and asked me to repeat it. So I did - verbatim. Then she asked why I thought it was so stupid. I gave her a long diatribe on meanings and connotations, and that if these concepts were so important to study, we should study the Admiral's words the way they were originally stated. She didn't like that answer and began polling the class. The entire class agreed with me, including the girls in the class. The subject was quickly dropped (after telling me that I should probably find another profession...guess who is still in said profession and who isn't?), and she spoke a little more carefully after that. Sometimes it pays to speak up.

Mods, feel free to delete the story if it ventures too far into the realm of politics. This thread is good, though. It's not a political debate - it's a debate on the validity of personal political views in the classroom.

 

[kornkob]

We have that problem here too. I never went to school at UW, but I lived in Madison for a year. It was the worst year of my life. In case you didn't know it, Madison is known as "the Berkely of the Midwest. The problem with that city is that it's a college town AND a state capital. That's a bad combination. I couldn't do anything, not even go to a bar with the softball team after the game, without someone shoving a petition in my face, and DEMANDING that I sign it. I swear I was the only conservative in that whole city. Boy am I glad I don't live there anymore.

Funny, I've lived in Madison most of my adult life and that characterization is wildly inaccurate. I get presented with as many petitions from the right as the left and I've never once seen a bar tolerate people with their petitions. Even so I haven't seen a petitioner in months. As for how 'liberal' everyone's opinions are here: there are as many conservatives nutjobs as there are liberal nutjobs here. And everyone in between. Unfortunately the nutjobs (from both sides) are just really loud--- and people tend to notice and be annoyed by the nutjobs who they don't agree with.

As for classes with professors extoling some political belief or another, regardless of its political leanings, it does depend. Political discussion is a pretty effective way to get college kids to pay attention and get engaged in the subject matter. And putting up a contraversial opinion is the easy way out, since it forces people involved in the discussion to polarize. I think it is a method that is cheap and causes people to be less critical and more confrontational in their discussion technique. After all, it's easier to be combative and contraversial than it is to critically discuss a subject.

 

[Flyin' Lion]

I take all of my classes online so I never have to listen to political opinions from my Profs. I read that weeks chapter, do the assignments and take quizes if I have them--no lectures.

Granted, not every major is something that could be taken online, but for those that are, I recommend it.

 

[EdWort]

I take all of my classes online so I never have to listen to political opinions from my Profs. I read that weeks chapter, do the assignments and take quizes if I have them--no lectures.

Granted, not every major is something that could be taken online, but for those that are, I recommend it.

Sounds great! College should be free of professors pushing political idology, regardless of left or right. It's about learning and thinking.

That's my main beef. Keep politics out of the classroom and let the students discover their beliefs on their own time. (It's sad that this never happens as even text books can be biased in a particular direction).

 

[Whelk]

Personally, I am a fairly liberal bookworm academic**, but it does bother me when anyone brings personal opinions of any stripe into the classroom, especially political opinions. The academic environment is supposed to be the one place where you can discuss any idea or opinion and have it be weighed and measured according to its own merits without people getting all personal. It really pisses me off when people get emotionally involved--it's childish, unprofessional, and it demonstrates that you can't argue your point without resorting to personal attacks.

**Really, I'm sort of a socialist libertarian. The government's there to provide for the people, not to pry into our lives and tell us how to live (as far as I'm concerned). I don't really consider that liberal, but hey, whatever. And I definitely, by any definition, am an academic bookworm.

 

[EdWort]

The academic environment is supposed to be the one place where you can discuss any idea or opinion and have it be weighed and measured according to its own merits without people getting all personal. It really pisses me off when people get emotionally involved--it's childish, unprofessional, and it demonstrates that you can't argue your point without resorting to personal attacks.

I agree, but it is pretty bad when the professor brings up his own beliefs when they have no purpose in the class and when you disagree and present a valid argument to the contrary, it affects your grade in a negative way.

The end result is that students don't present differing points of view with the teacher for fear of a low or failing grade. In most cases the teacher is not looking for a debate, but rather to push his beliefs on young impressionable students. Then they turn out to be hypocrites in the first place. You know, do as I say, not as I do.

That is an outright abuse of power that is happening every day in our universities.

 

[Whelk]

I agree, but it is pretty bad when the professor brings up his own beliefs when they have no purpose in the class and when you disagree and present a valid argument to the contrary, it affects your grade in a negative way.

The end result is that students don't present differing points of view with the teacher for fear of a low or failing grade. In most cases the teacher is not looking for a debate, but rather to push his beliefs on young impressionable students.

That is an outright abuse of power that is happening every day in our universities.

I completely agree and I think it's sad--some of my favorite professors as an undergrad (who were otherwise the most brilliant, caring, considerate people) would routinely make anti-Bush jokes. Now, obviously it's a joke and everyone appeared to take it as such, but I don't think that particular kind of humor is okay in the classroom. Again, if it's a private party or group or whatever, that's one thing. Maybe I think about this stuff too much, but I didn't pay tens of thousands of dollars to sit there wondering if someone in the class was about to pop a vein because of some political joke (or whatever). Like they used to say, three things are banned from polite conversation: women, politics, and religion. Unless you signed up for a Poly Sci debate course, leave it out. Now, jokes about Henry V's policies in Aquitaine? Fine by me, I don't think anyone is nerdy enough to get genuinely upset over a joke like that.

 

[doubleb]

Its rude to bring up in public...

politics and religion

and I thought there was another too.

RDWHAHB

 

[Ryanh1801]

I agree, but it is pretty bad when the professor brings up his own beliefs when they have no purpose in the class and when you disagree and present a valid argument to the contrary, it affects your grade in a negative way.

The end result is that students don't present differing points of view with the teacher for fear of a low or failing grade. In most cases the teacher is not looking for a debate, but rather to push his beliefs on young impressionable students. Then they turn out to be hypocrites in the first place. You know, do as I say, not as I do.

That is an outright abuse of power that is happening every day in our universities.

Thats not a problem for me, I am very open about my political beliefs. Most of the time it goes two ways.

Prof shuts it down very fast and does not allow discussion.
or
Its me and maybe a few others vs. the rest and the professor.

Although it has not hurt my grade yet, and I hope it never does, cause I would raise hell.

But what gets me more than anything is comments like "Bush is a dumb ass" Which I had a professor say.
No matter how much I hate a President, I have never said they where a dumb ass. Such a comment IMO is just ignorant and has no business in the class room, keep that crap to air America.

 

[TheJadedDog]

So, I agree that it is not okay to bring politics into the classroom but let me ask you this, would you be as upset if the profs were conservative and they were making remarks against liberals?
(Please note, this is a rhetorical question and is not meant to imply that your answer is no).

 

[Ryanh1801]

So, I agree that it is not okay to bring politics into the classroom but let me ask you this, would you be as upset if the profs were conservative and they were making remarks against liberals?
(Please note, this is a rhetorical question and is not meant to imply that your answer is no).

Well, two parts to this anwser, If they where intelligent remarks, no, just because it is my view. Just as im sure most my prof, do not upset Liberal people in my class right now. If it was ignorant comments like "Liberals are a bunch of tree hugging hippies" (Just giving an extreme example) Then yes I would be.

Honest as I can get.

 

[JohnBarleycorn]

Reason obeys itself ; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it
Thomas Paine

 

[JohnBarleycorn]

BTW what kind of rich ? theres a difference between people who think theyre rich and 12 million to your dog rich

 

[Madtown Brew]

Funny, I've lived in Madison most of my adult life and that characterization is wildly inaccurate. I get presented with as many petitions from the right as the left and I've never once seen a bar tolerate people with their petitions. Even so I haven't seen a petitioner in months. As for how 'liberal' everyone's opinions are here: there are as many conservatives nutjobs as there are liberal nutjobs here. And everyone in between. Unfortunately the nutjobs (from both sides) are just really loud--- and people tend to notice and be annoyed by the nutjobs who they don't agree with.

right on. Anyone who's seen the religious nuts with the "gays will burn in hell" signs standing aroud library mall would agree.

 

[feedthebear]

In a phrase, "The next time someone is teaching, why don't you get taught." Try learning why people have different opinions from what you do instead of dismissing them.

Life isn't about repeatitive exposure to only things that you like. That's masturbation.

 

[uuurang]

Life isn't about repeatitive exposure to only things that you like. That's masturbation.

When did masturbation become bad?

 

[Trencher]

When did masturbation become bad?

When it was substituted for a real life- or an education.