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| Ideological Reeducation at University of Delaware |
| 2007-11-01 |
| The University of Delaware subjects students in its residence halls to a shocking program of ideological reeducation that is referred to in the university's own materials as a "treatment" for students' incorrect attitudes and beliefs. The Orwellian program requires the approximately 7,000 students in DelawareÂ’s residence halls to adopt highly specific university-approved views on issues ranging from politics to race, sexuality, sociology, moral philosophy, and environmentalism. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) is calling for the total dismantling of the program, which is a flagrant violation of students' rights to freedom of conscience and freedom from compelled speech. The universityÂ’s views are forced on students through a comprehensive manipulation of the residence hall environment, from mandatory training sessions to "sustainability" door decorations. Students living in the universityÂ’s eight housing complexes are required to attend training sessions, floor meetings, and one-on-one meetings with their Resident Assistants (RAs). The RAs who facilitate these meetings have received their own intensive training from the university, including a "diversity facilitation training" session at which RAs were taught, among other things, that "[a] racist is one who is both privileged and socialized on the basis of race by a white supremacist (racist) system. The term applies to all white people (i.e., people of European descent) living in the United States, regardless of class, gender, religion, culture or sexuality." The university suggests that at one-on-one sessions with students, RAs should ask intrusive personal questions such as "When did you discover your sexual identity?" Students who express discomfort with this type of questioning often meet with disapproval from their RAs, who write reports on these one-on-one sessions and deliver these reports to their superiors. One student identified in a write-up as an RAÂ’s "worst" one-on-one session was a young woman who stated that she was tired of having "diversity shoved down her throat." This last bit is really disturbing. I just finished reading "Mao, the untold story" and this is EXACTLY TO A T the way that the party cadres were brought into line. You know, not everyone who was a communist thought the same thing. But after one-on-one with local leaders (RAs in this case, what a sinister turn for such an innocuous occupation) the rank-and-file had their opinions permanently changed, and if they ever thought to step out of line later, harsh penalties awaited (in this case, persecution, being expelled from the University, and possibly civil or criminal charges for "racist" thoughts). I'm not even talking about the racism definition above, which is outrageous enough. |
| Posted by:gromky |
| #7 A Message to the University of Delaware Community Nov. 1, 2007 The University of Delaware strives for an environment in which all people feel welcome to learn, and which supports intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, free inquiry and respect for the views and values of an increasingly diverse population. The University is committed to the education of students as citizens, scholars and professionals and their preparation to contribute creatively and with integrity to a global society. The purpose of the residence life educational program is to support these commitments. While I believe that recent press accounts misrepresent the purpose of the residential life program at the University of Delaware, there are questions about its practices that must be addressed and there are reasons for concern that the actual purpose is not being fulfilled. It is not feasible to evaluate these issues without a full and broad-based review. Upon the recommendation of Vice President for Student Life Michael Gilbert and Director of Residence Life Kathleen Kerr, I have directed that the program be stopped immediately. No further activities under the current framework will be conducted. Vice President Gilbert will work with the University Faculty Senate and others to determine the proper means by which residence life programs may support the intellectual, cultural and ethical development of our students. Patrick Harker President Newspeak for we've been exposed trying to play fast and loose with the program and got caught. Time to regroup and cover our retreat with paper. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-11-01 21:07 |
| #6 A madrassa in Delaware? Who'd have thunk it. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2007-11-01 13:36 |
| #5 This is why the West is failing as a society. Question all values and thought except the "accepted" version. So much for the Renaissance. So much for the industrial revolution. Hello dark ages. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-11-01 11:18 |
| #4 This is not a university. Merely a concubine for Mao. |
| Posted by: newc 2007-11-01 10:58 |
| #3 The University of Delaware denies the charges: http://www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2008/oct/reslife103107.html |
| Posted by: Darrell 2007-11-01 09:46 |
| #2 The pathetic 'liberals' who permit this sort of thing seem to forget that in the end the socialist leadership had to purge their most ardent followers who got out of control [Hitler and the SA, Mao and the Red Guard] or degenerate into paranoid based purges like Stalin. It's the executive and legislative branch of state government that in the end must step in and reclaim the property of the 'real' people, the citizens of Delaware, or shut it down. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-11-01 09:25 |
| #1 "[a] racist is one who is both privileged and socialized on the basis of race by a white supremacist (racist) system. The term applies to all white people (i.e., people of European descent) living in the United States, regardless of class, gender, religion, culture or sexuality." Clearly highlights the decline of our educational system. I cannot understand why this must be taught at the college level. I've accepted it a universal tenant of our society since grammer school in the early 1960's. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2007-11-01 01:48 |