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‘I’m not wanted’: Florida universities hit by brain drain as academics flee
- lucubratory 3y agoThis is what happens when you start banning accepted science and threatening to take people's kids away. They could have gotten away with a lot more with fewer academic casualties if they hadn't been so public and aggressive about everything.
- tjs8rj 3y agoDid you read the article? There are no laws attacking accepted science, there are laws pushing back on ideological capture. That the country is “systemically racist” and that “men can be women” are not scientific facts. These are increasingly less prominent interpretations of various observed phenomena, and especially for a lot of the gender stuff: just preferred philosophy or cultural mindset. Because these areas both have political policy recommendations, they are just politics by definition. In short, this is a shortage of politically motivated academics who bias their research and teaching towards political ends rather than the truth. Purging the university of these kinds is a major win.
- fuckyou232 3y ago[flagged]
- drewbug01 3y ago> These are increasingly less prominent interpretations of various observed phenomena, and especially for a lot of the gender stuff: just preferred philosophy or cultural mindset. Could you provide some citations showing how this is becoming less prominent over time? > Because these areas both have political policy recommendations, they are just politics by definition. That’s interesting, don’t you think? Wouldn’t that discount most practical research as “politics”?
- repubsdead 3y ago[dead]
- orf 3y agoThere is an objective truth to things. Wrapping those things in “political policy recommendations” doesn’t detract from that objective truth. Now you can discuss that objective truth but dismissing it as politically motivated, saying, without any cause, that the people who left those positions “ bias their research and teaching away from truth, and finishing with stating that a (objectively politically motivated) purge is a “major win” is the height of lazy, brain-dead thinking that might benefit from a little bit more education and a little bit less red-meat politics.
- kelseyfrog 3y agoI'm curious. Where did you learn that social facts fall under the umbrella of objective truth?
- orf 3y agoI’m curious. What part of my comment led you to ask that question?
- kelseyfrog 3y agoIt was "There is an objective truth to things." How did you come to that conclusion?
- orf 3y agoI dunno. Reality? If I throw a ball, it’s objectively true that it’s position changes?
- kelseyfrog 3y agoHow does throwing a ball analogize to observations about social phenomena for you?
- orf 3y ago
- lcnPylGDnU4H9OF 3y ago> politically motivated academics who bias their research This stands out in a good faith reading as a real problem that commonly occurs. However, the preceding words "this is a shortage of" suggest that it is known that these specific academics perpetrate this problem. Is there a way for one who is currently uninformed to become informed about this? > Because these areas both have political policy recommendations, they are just politics by definition. This sounds like a Political Person can choose to co-opt my opinion as part of their Platform and then tell me that my opinion is Political. No, it's just an opinion; not everything is Politics.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- matthewdgreen 3y agoThe academic casualties are the whole point. First you pass the silly laws, then you drive away the kinds of high-profile experts who might say something to embarrass or oppose you politically. Then you guarantee that most in-state students get a systematically worse and propaganda-filled education, while the smart and creative kids go to other states (where they likely stay.) Eventually you've driven away the experts, voters and activists who might otherwise oppose you politically. It's too bad that everyone in Florida has to suffer a worse economy and educational system so a few politicians can enshrine themselves for life, but many of those Floridians are voting for it.
- thatguy0900 3y agoI always thought the Texas crazyness was similar. Texas makes a huge fuss with insane abortion laws at the same time as people were talking about moving from the liberal west coast, often with Texas in their sights.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- celim307 3y agoI’m afraid this would be a win win for desantis and co, dissenters leaving gives them a tighter grip on the state, at least until economically hit
- genocidicbunny 3y agoOne can dream that the solution here would be to have companies to start treating Florida university degrees as worthless. Want a job outside of Florida? Need to go to university and live outside of Florida. Want a job with a company that is based outside of Florida but has Florida offices? Gotta go to university outside of Florida as well. Will that hurt a lot of people that live in Florida? Yeah, it absolutely will. But sometimes, pain is the best medicine. I know it's callous and heartless, but much like with cancer, sometimes you need to cut out healthy tissue to make sure you cut out all the cancer. At some point you do need to put the needs and betterment of society as a whole above the individual. Plus I figure if we can manage to hold them off long enough, Florida's gonna turn into a bunch of archipelagos and politically irrelevant.
- rs999gti 3y ago> have companies to start treating Florida university degrees as worthless As long as the government is in the student loan business, this is never going to happen.
- causi 3y agoI agree with the thesis of the article but it sure is using a lot of dodgy language to get around making statements of fact to back it up. 36 of the small honors college’s approximately 100 full-time teaching positions were vacant. Orphan statistic. How does this compare to two years ago before the slate of bigoted lawmaking? “State University System of Florida has not received any concerns from our member institutions indicating turnover this year has been any higher than previous years." Andrew Gothard predicts a loss of between 20 and 30% of faculty members at some universities Is the first statement a lie? If so, why is the second statement just a vague prediction of a 20-30% turnover without any explanation of evidence? It should not be difficult to do better than just a list of anecdotal stories from people who say they're leaving.
- deadeye 3y agoI disagree with the articles thesis and was about to make all the points you listed here. Thanks for being critical even though you disagree.
- causi 3y agoI see vigilance when it comes to applying the same standards of evidence to people you agree with and people you don't as an important part of being a functional human being. Once you get emotionally attached to your conclusions you're not a rational thinker anymore; you're just a dumb animal following your tribalistic loyalty around. My opinions could be proven wrong at any time.
- shrimp_emoji 3y agoStupidity reproducing itself :D