Shannon Watkins of the Martin Center examines the impact of Princeton professor Robert George’s recent presentation to the UNC system’s Board of Governors.
On December 15th, he addressed the UNC Board of Governors about his experience directing a successful viewpoint-diverse program on a university campus. In his opening comments before the full board, George described his educational philosophy and how to promote civil discourse on campus.
He emphasized that his goal as an educator is not to “tell” students what to think, but rather to expose them to the “best of what has been thought” on a wide range of issues, and to help them to think “carefully, clearly, and for themselves.” The James Madison Program reflects that educational philosophy.
But not everybody in the UNC system considers a lack of civil discourse to be a problem. George’s presentation before the Board of Governors, UNC-Chapel Hill political science professor Steve Leonard said that he did not see the reason for George’s visit in the first place. “That talk could have been delivered by any number of UNC faculty. It’s disappointing, and to some extent insulting, that the Board of Governors is so unaware of that fact that they would invite someone from the outside to do what a faculty member here in North Carolina could have done.”
But Leonard’s comments reveal a wide gulf of opinions on the topic. While civility may be the rule in many classrooms, and many faculty may support the open exchange of ideas, there is still a widespread fear of holding contrarian viewpoints on campus.
And that fear does not appear to be irrational. Indeed, several students have told the Martin Center that they often tailor their essays to fit the mainstream interpretations of their professors in order to receive a good grade. A former Martin Center intern said that he received failing grades and death threats for expressing conservative opinions inside and outside of class.
And there is a seemingly endless stream of examples of such incidents in the media. The problem appears to be prevalent in academia, which may explain why George’s presentation was such a draw: the entire room was filled to hear his message of hope. George said that the open, rigorous, and civil discourse that the James Madison Program has fostered has transformed and positively influenced the overall “ethos” on his campus. He claimed that no one has ever attempted to shout down his program’s events or guest speakers—regardless of the speakers’ philosophical and political leanings. Furthermore, he said that he has never been pressured by administrators or other faculty to teach—or not teach—certain subjects or points of view.
