7 ms·

Having spent far more than my fair share of time around University students (11 years), I can assure you that the complaint is likely what the student said. It

Having spent far more than my fair share of time around University students (11 years), I can assure you that the complaint is likely what the student said. It smells very much like what students today are saying. Remember the other professor who had students call the police because there were mice in their apartment?

jccalhoun 11y ago
"Having spent far more than my fair share of time around University students (11 years), I can assure you that the complaint is likely what the student said. It smells very much like what students today are saying." I guess I have different students because I've been teaching college since 2000 and have never had any complaints like this and neither have any of my friends.
- Overtonwindow 11y ago
  What subject do you teach? I was talking to an old physics professor of mine and he said the same thing, but my former psych professor was completely the opposite. Maybe it's a subject-related issue?
  - JulianMorrison 11y ago
    Could also be related to the person. A prof who's being racist will receive more criticism for being racist, and will have more cause to complain of "political correctness".
    - CodeCube 11y ago
      I gotta say, anecdotally, this is what I often find ... the people complaining about political correctness, are those that have in the past been openly racist, or at a minimum, fond of racially charged jokes (ie. "black people are great, everyone should own one"). They are chafing against a cultural change that no longer appreciates and/or tolerates behavior like that.
      - talmand 11y ago
        Well, anecdotally, I often find that being used as an easy excuse to dismiss someone's concerns without having to address the concerns.
        pitay 11y ago
        I totally agree. I have had people blaming me for making them depressed when I was refuting someone saying 'you get out what was put into it', which I thought was complete bullshit the way he was saying it. I was saying that a lot of success is due to chance, and that a lot of life events are due to chance. This got people some people saying that what I was saying was horribly depressing. The guy then proceeded to lecture me that my attitude was what was letting me down in something that I never did, and was irrelevant anyway. And that 'I may not have intended it, but that my actions are causing misery' (because I did apologize to people that saying that they were horribly depressed by me saying that life has chance in it, because I felt the need to be conciliatory). That is what happened when I tried to be honest and disagree with someone spouting feel good bullshit or whatever else made him look good. A complete frigging cesspool.
        talmand 11y ago
        Don't apologize because of such nonsense, it only encourages the behavior.
        Anthony-G 11y ago
        That sounds like a tragic case of shooting the messenger. The sad outcome is that people learn to keep their mouths shut rather than tell unpalatable truths - and it's the whole group that loses out in the long fun.
        CodeCube 11y ago
        What concerns exactly are you referring to? If I hear someone expressing a view that I dislike, I'm well within my rights to do any or all of the following things: a) stop associating with this individual b) let them know that I dislike the view they've expressed. Choosing to do both a) and b) is a normal social response, and the individual that finds themselves expressing views that go against the cultural majority will find themselves in an awkward position. If this view being expressed is worth expressing, then unfortunately the individual will have to endure hardships in order to get the message out and convince the masses ... much like MLKjr being willing to go to jail to communicate the idea that civil rights were for all. So if someone wants to share racist jokes, then toughen up that skin and let the vitriol fly! They should be proud of what they are and let everyone know ... if it's a worthy viewpoint, they'll find others will rally to their cause; and if not, they'll find themselves awkwardly cast out by their social circle (or at least, their social circle's kids/younger generation).
  - jccalhoun 11y ago
    I teach cultural studies-related things and nearly all of my friends who are college profs are as well. I talk about race and gender regularly. The only non-grade related complaint I've ever gotten was that I used swear words in class - which would be hard not to do when one of the readings was about swearing...
    - 6stringmerc 11y ago
      I'm not trying to be glib but in my experience it's cutural studies mentalities applied to hard science courses (like biology for non-majors) or artistic roundtable formats (like creative writing workshops) where issues of race, gender, and feelings are inappropriately applied as 'arbiters' of "how" things are to be discussed. My apology if not totally clear, but the jist of what I'm getting at is my impression of cultural studies is that the inherent inclusiveness of 'perspectives' doesn't really challenge students, but predominately allows an arena for affirmation. I suppose what I mean is that based on the nature of the subject matter, an excellent rhetorical essay framing genocide of a certain culture can't really be criticized as 'bad thinking' if the structuring of the argument and included reasoning are sound, though the very concept itself is abhorrent in its premise.
- MollyR 11y ago
  Probably depends on the school, I've saw it as a student, but I have friends from engineering colleges who said they didn't see much of it.
roymurdock 11y ago
I graduated last year, and I can assure you that I never heard anything remotely similar to this during my 4 years in an undergrad business program. I discussed this exact topic with my close high school friends while we were home over Thanksgiving weekend, so I also got perspectives from recently-graduated students in the liberal arts and business at Columbia, WashU, Vanderbilt, and Cornell to fill out my sample. None of them had ever directly heard or seen any comparable behavior during their time in school. We had all heard of isolated incidents of intolerance in the news, and had the sense that such sheltered students could be found on campus, but we didn't personally know or associate with anyone who could be so extreme or intolerant in their beliefs. Which caused us to ask: how does a student like this get a spot at a decent university? Who raises their child to be so intolerant? So I have to disagree with your claim that such intolerant and childish comments "[smell] very much like what students today are saying." There is a vocal minority of students who say and do things that do not represent the larger body of students as a whole. There always will be. The average college student is still too busy meeting people, playing sports, dating, drinking, traveling, doing internships, interviewing for jobs, and (occasionally) going to lectures to make a big fuss out of anything that might offend him/her.
- sotojuan 11y ago
  Current college senior at a liberal arts school, and I agree. There's a decent chunk of people who could be described as rubidium does but ultimately they are a minority. A very vocal one though. Most people are just too busy with life to care, even if they sympathize.

jccalhoun 11y ago

"Having spent far more than my fair share of time around University students (11 years), I can assure you that the complaint is likely what the student said. It smells very much like what students today are saying." I guess I have different students because I've been teaching college since 2000 and have never had any complaints like this and neither have any of my friends.

Overtonwindow 11y ago
What subject do you teach? I was talking to an old physics professor of mine and he said the same thing, but my former psych professor was completely the opposite. Maybe it's a subject-related issue?
- JulianMorrison 11y ago
  Could also be related to the person. A prof who's being racist will receive more criticism for being racist, and will have more cause to complain of "political correctness".
  - CodeCube 11y ago
    I gotta say, anecdotally, this is what I often find ... the people complaining about political correctness, are those that have in the past been openly racist, or at a minimum, fond of racially charged jokes (ie. "black people are great, everyone should own one"). They are chafing against a cultural change that no longer appreciates and/or tolerates behavior like that.
    - talmand 11y ago
      Well, anecdotally, I often find that being used as an easy excuse to dismiss someone's concerns without having to address the concerns.
      - pitay 11y ago
        I totally agree. I have had people blaming me for making them depressed when I was refuting someone saying 'you get out what was put into it', which I thought was complete bullshit the way he was saying it. I was saying that a lot of success is due to chance, and that a lot of life events are due to chance. This got people some people saying that what I was saying was horribly depressing. The guy then proceeded to lecture me that my attitude was what was letting me down in something that I never did, and was irrelevant anyway. And that 'I may not have intended it, but that my actions are causing misery' (because I did apologize to people that saying that they were horribly depressed by me saying that life has chance in it, because I felt the need to be conciliatory). That is what happened when I tried to be honest and disagree with someone spouting feel good bullshit or whatever else made him look good. A complete frigging cesspool.
        talmand 11y ago
        Don't apologize because of such nonsense, it only encourages the behavior.
        Anthony-G 11y ago
        That sounds like a tragic case of shooting the messenger. The sad outcome is that people learn to keep their mouths shut rather than tell unpalatable truths - and it's the whole group that loses out in the long fun.
      - CodeCube 11y ago
        What concerns exactly are you referring to? If I hear someone expressing a view that I dislike, I'm well within my rights to do any or all of the following things: a) stop associating with this individual b) let them know that I dislike the view they've expressed. Choosing to do both a) and b) is a normal social response, and the individual that finds themselves expressing views that go against the cultural majority will find themselves in an awkward position. If this view being expressed is worth expressing, then unfortunately the individual will have to endure hardships in order to get the message out and convince the masses ... much like MLKjr being willing to go to jail to communicate the idea that civil rights were for all. So if someone wants to share racist jokes, then toughen up that skin and let the vitriol fly! They should be proud of what they are and let everyone know ... if it's a worthy viewpoint, they'll find others will rally to their cause; and if not, they'll find themselves awkwardly cast out by their social circle (or at least, their social circle's kids/younger generation).
- jccalhoun 11y ago
  I teach cultural studies-related things and nearly all of my friends who are college profs are as well. I talk about race and gender regularly. The only non-grade related complaint I've ever gotten was that I used swear words in class - which would be hard not to do when one of the readings was about swearing...
  - 6stringmerc 11y ago
    I'm not trying to be glib but in my experience it's cutural studies mentalities applied to hard science courses (like biology for non-majors) or artistic roundtable formats (like creative writing workshops) where issues of race, gender, and feelings are inappropriately applied as 'arbiters' of "how" things are to be discussed. My apology if not totally clear, but the jist of what I'm getting at is my impression of cultural studies is that the inherent inclusiveness of 'perspectives' doesn't really challenge students, but predominately allows an arena for affirmation. I suppose what I mean is that based on the nature of the subject matter, an excellent rhetorical essay framing genocide of a certain culture can't really be criticized as 'bad thinking' if the structuring of the argument and included reasoning are sound, though the very concept itself is abhorrent in its premise.
MollyR 11y ago
Probably depends on the school, I've saw it as a student, but I have friends from engineering colleges who said they didn't see much of it.

roymurdock 11y ago

I graduated last year, and I can assure you that I never heard anything remotely similar to this during my 4 years in an undergrad business program. I discussed this exact topic with my close high school friends while we were home over Thanksgiving weekend, so I also got perspectives from recently-graduated students in the liberal arts and business at Columbia, WashU, Vanderbilt, and Cornell to fill out my sample. None of them had ever directly heard or seen any comparable behavior during their time in school. We had all heard of isolated incidents of intolerance in the news, and had the sense that such sheltered students could be found on campus, but we didn't personally know or associate with anyone who could be so extreme or intolerant in their beliefs. Which caused us to ask: how does a student like this get a spot at a decent university? Who raises their child to be so intolerant? So I have to disagree with your claim that such intolerant and childish comments "[smell] very much like what students today are saying." There is a vocal minority of students who say and do things that do not represent the larger body of students as a whole. There always will be. The average college student is still too busy meeting people, playing sports, dating, drinking, traveling, doing internships, interviewing for jobs, and (occasionally) going to lectures to make a big fuss out of anything that might offend him/her.

sotojuan 11y ago
Current college senior at a liberal arts school, and I agree. There's a decent chunk of people who could be described as rubidium does but ultimately they are a minority. A very vocal one though. Most people are just too busy with life to care, even if they sympathize.