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The Board of Regents of Iowa has determined that indoctrination is its next objective on state university campuses.
It might have been worse. At first, the board considered a proposal that would have prohibited public colleges from providing diversity, equity, inclusion, or critical race theory courses as part of their majors or minors.
The idea was met with harsh condemnation from students, educators, and staff.
In order to expressly declare that training should be provided in a way that stimulates critical thinking and avoids indoctrination of one position, the board voted this week to alter the current academic freedom and syllabus publishing regulations.
According to the new academic freedom policy, faculty are expected to maintain academic integrity, promote courteous and open inquiry, and provide coursework in a way that represents the variety of scholarly viewpoints and current discussions in the subject.
Naturally, we support a variety of scholarly viewpoints, continuous discussion, and courteous, open queries. Who isn’t?
However, who has the authority to define indoctrination?
Will it be the Republican-controlled Board of Regents, the Republican attorney general, the Republican Legislature, or the Republican-dominated Reynolds administration?
What a waste of a variety of academic opinions.
Do conservative viewpoints qualify as free expression, whereas liberal indoctrination is the exclusive target of the rule?
Referencing the original plan, Regent Robert Cramer stated, “I don’t want any of the DEI, CRT, woke left stuff being taught in any of our classes,” according to Vanessa Miller of The Gazette. However, I recognize the challenges of attempting to control what is taught from the outside. Cramer added that the board supports free speech and academic freedom.
The same lawmakers and board members who banned DEI from state university campuses because they believed that assisting minority students could result in reverse racism will now be on the lookout for brainwashing.
When those in positions of authority establish systems that could be used to outlaw concepts that contradict the prevailing worldview, we should always be cautious. There will be a lot of pressure to steer clear of subjects that go against conservative ideology.
Academic freedom regulations that are not truly free do not benefit students. Additionally, it hinders universities’ attempts to recruit top-notch researchers and professors. And since our universities are essential to the state’s economy, it is important to all of us.
The Board of Regents shouldn’t put our colleges’ strengths at risk by focusing on a political agenda that suggests they have serious flaws. Give up the pursuit for brainwashing.
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