30 years ago, I gave up my aspirations of teaching at the college level and "sold out" to industry. There has always been the little bit of doubt that I should have stayed in academia. I'm not sure I would have survived.
I haven't been around too many colleges or universities since 1976. Things are different, or I am different. On the great college tour this spring, each school has touted its committement to diversity and multiculturalism. Today, I heard a bit of a lecture on the importance of "Women's Studies." Back in the dark ages, we had diversity, although the cow college was just beginning to see that having women students might be a good thing, and, as a good engineering school, we had students from almost everywhere. The campus was open to different folks and different ideas, but we didn't have to have programs pushing this. It was a natural part of being at a University.
I've never quite figured out the need for socially significant sociology programs such as women's studies. Seems that it's a natural fit into the normal sociology. I can see courses in relevant topics, but a special cirriculum? Why?
The MWC library had, in a display case, a student essay "On being an American" after 9/11. The enshrined letter said basically that the attack was our fault. I know folks have that idea, but enshrining it?
Guess I'm just to un-PC for modern education. Unless tenure was early and quick, I don't think I would have survived today's higher education system.
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