Discrimination in Education

[Cartman]

I was going to place this under provincial politics, but I think it is also a moral issue. Have you ever been discriminated by a professor or other educator due to your political beliefs? If so, did you report this behaviour to authorities (i.e. Dean or equivalent)? If not, why not?

IME, most administrations in universities are from all walks of life. They will hear the complaint(s), review and re-evaluate completed work anonymously and hear from witnesses if need be. Of course, if there is a track record of making complaints, well, then I suspect that you will not be taken as seriously.

[RB]

Most professors have an agenda that they try to push onto the impressionable. For example they write the text books for a particular course (agenda) and plus they profit off the kids

But, I would like to know when would the professor take time out to learn about "a" student political belief (the universities in Toronto are astonishingly huge)

I think discrimination is far too sophisticated and subtle nowadays, it is well more difficult to prove as professors are well aware of consequences.

Is there a particular incident or case you wanted to bring up?

[Cartman]

No particular incident sparked this thread. Rather, it has been my observation that some on the right believe that universities are centres for some left-wing agenda and I am not convinced by these suggestions (the argument is similar to the one made about the Liberal media). My experience is that most institutions are run by rather right leaning individuals and that professors come from all walks of life. Frankly, I suspect that most professors don't really care what students think because their own research is what concerns them.

To say that universities are less than tolerant for right-wing ideas is rather disconcerting and I have been waiting for people to identify any instances of such and to know what they have done about it. No takers yet.

[August1991]

Rather, it has been my observation that some on the right believe that universities are centres for some left-wing agenda and I am not convinced by these suggestions (the argument is similar to the one made about the Liberal media).

True, the left-wing North American university professor is a stereotype but one that I'd agree with. If you go to this web site, randomly choose a university and political science department, I think my opinion will be justified.

Young people tend to be left wing and professors tend to be perpetual adolescents. I'm not aware of any private university in Canada and all university students are subsidized. It is easy to imagine that both students and professors would defend a State system.

As to the media, I am suspicious of claims of bias. Radio stations, newspapers and so on must respond to a market. If people don't like the product on offer, they'll go elsewhere. In education, it's different. Professors have tenure and to a degree, students are forced to take their classes.

[Sir Chauncy]

In Colleges and Universities the teachers tend to "teach" their own political views more them the wide spectrum.

They do not like students who speak up and argue their points.

But Students todays are supposed to be more educated and wiser then we old goats. Hahahaha

They should be able to discern their own truths while keeping quiet and simply get through school.

Sir Chauncy

[Guest eureka]

I never met a University Professor who "taught" his political views. I knew some whose views were commonly known but have never heard a complaint that tehy "taught" those views.

Interestingly, I once took an interest course in Canadian history at U of T. The lecturer was a young graduate student named David Bercuson I didn't know until many years later that he was a "mouth frothing Right Winger."

[Chungwawema]

I never met a University Professor who "taught" his political views. I knew some whose views were commonly known but have never heard a complaint that tehy "taught" those views.

Interestingly, I once took an interest course in Canadian history at U of T. The lecturer was a young graduate student named David Bercuson I didn't know until many years later that he was a "mouth frothing Right Winger."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm attending a small public university in Illinois and it's very easy for the Professors to figure out a specific student's political tendencies. Yet I haven't had any problems with the Professors I've disagreed with. A good Professor will look at the merits of an argument, not whether or not they actually agree with the emotions behind the argument. I happen to think there are a lot more good Professors out there than a lot of people seem to think.

[SirSpanky]

There are tolerant, intolerant, racist, weakling etc. prof's, just as there's the good, bad, and ugly people in the world. Most of my profs are profs simply because they spent the extra 3 or 4 years and got a masters or PHD. I hardly put any thought into why a certain prof has the opinion they do.

The only discrimination I experienced was when I had to take a thermodynamics course taught by a mechanical engineer (I'm an Electrical) and my discipline was made fun of in a joking way