I'm not saying the story is b.s., because all this seems very plausible nowadays, but upon a closer examination, the writer is a college sophomore... It seems like one of those right wing sites designed to outrage us (it worked).
"But restricting the language does reveal an inherent refusal to allow for rational discourse in the classroom and is offensive to the very idea of a university. The teacher should try to convince the students through rational arguments, not threaten them with lower grades. It is shameful that this person is teaching at a university."
Furthermore, one could also argue that these professorsFS are starting a slippery slope towards these type of crap standards permeating the rest of the University and becoming the norm?
On the flip-side, what if a professor said you cannot use the terms "undocumented immigrant" or "migrant worker" and must use the term "illegal alien" in their class? What do you think the Loony Left would do, sit idly on their hands?
A) Students who unintentionally (or intentionally) fail to follow these professors' arbitrary rules receive lesser grades than they could've and they / parents are pissed so they sue.
Freedom of speech advocates sue, detailing that banning words which are not considered hate speech is an infringement upon the 1st amendment.
C) A state think-tank or foundation sues because the state government is providing aid (tax revenues) to a state institution that is restricting taxpayers' rights (parents' children).
"Multiple professors at Washington State University have explicitly told students their grades will suffer if they use terms such as “illegal alien,” "male," and “female,” or if they fail to “defer” to non-white students."
Suing WSU over this arbitrary bullshit makes the situation even worse. Every single person involved in this hypothetical lawsuit should be stoned to death. You could elect not to take these bullshit classes.
Public statement from WSU regarding syllabi issue August 31, 2015 PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University deeply values the tenets of freedom of expression for every member of our community, including all students, faculty and staff. Those First Amendment rights are reinforced in our policies, procedures and practices. Open dialogue, vigorous debate and the free exchange of ideas, as well as the language used to convey these ideas, are at the core of who we are as a higher education institution. Over the weekend, we became aware that some faculty members, in the interest of fostering a constructive climate for discussion, included language in class syllabi that has been interpreted as abridging students’ free speech rights. We are working with these faculty members to clarify, and in some cases modify, course policies to ensure that students’ free speech rights are recognized and protected. No student will have points docked merely as a result of using terms that may be deemed offensive to some. Blanket restriction of the use of certain terms is not consistent with the values upon which this university is founded. Free speech and a constructive climate for learning are not incompatible. We aim to cultivate diversity of expression while protecting individual rights and safety. To this end, we are asking all faculty members to take a moment to review their course policies to ensure that students’ right to freedom of expression is protected along with a safe and productive learning environment.
Public statement from WSU regarding syllabi issue August 31, 2015 PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University deeply values the tenets of freedom of expression for every member of our community, including all students, faculty and staff. Those First Amendment rights are reinforced in our policies, procedures and practices. Open dialogue, vigorous debate and the free exchange of ideas, as well as the language used to convey these ideas, are at the core of who we are as a higher education institution. Over the weekend, we became aware that some faculty members, in the interest of fostering a constructive climate for discussion, included language in class syllabi that has been interpreted as abridging students’ free speech rights. We are working with these faculty members to clarify, and in some cases modify, course policies to ensure that students’ free speech rights are recognized and protected. No student will have points docked merely as a result of using terms that may be deemed offensive to some. Blanket restriction of the use of certain terms is not consistent with the values upon which this university is founded. Free speech and a constructive climate for learning are not incompatible. We aim to cultivate diversity of expression while protecting individual rights and safety. To this end, we are asking all faculty members to take a moment to review their course policies to ensure that students’ right to freedom of expression is protected along with a safe and productive learning environment.
What the fuck did you say about me, you cis white boy? I'll have you know I graduated top of my class in gender studies, and I've been involved in numerous public raids on reddit, and I have banned over 300 misogynist shits. I am trained in not citing my sources and I'm the top land whale in the entire Tumblr army. You're nothing to me but another trigger. I will ban you the fuck out with butthurt the likes of which have never been seen on this Earth, mark my fucking words. You think you can get away with calling me a shitlord over the Internet? Think again, cis white boy. As we speak I'm contacting my secret network of landwhales all over #stopgamergate and your account is being rustled right now so you better prepare your jimmies, sexist pig. The media will biasly slander out the pathetic little thing you call a gender. You're fucking dead, rapist. I can be anywhere, anytime, and kill you with my massive fat folds, and that's just with my bare keyboard. Not only am I extensively trained in being triggered, I have access to the entire arsenal of Tumblr, and I will use it to its full extent to send death threats to your family all over the fucking Internet, fucking patriarchal bitch. If only you could have know what raging hormone filled butthurt your little "clever" comment was about to bring down on you, maybe you would have circumcised yourself. But you couldn't, you didn't, and now you're paying the price, you goddamn PTSD inducing troll. I will shitpost all over you and you will choke on your own injustice. You're fucking dead, cis boy.
Also, this particular username is new, which suggests someone who is either plagiarizing or posing as multiple different people on the same board. I don't know the rules here, but in most communities that is a TOS violation.
Comments
"But restricting the language does reveal an inherent refusal to allow for rational discourse in the classroom and is offensive to the very idea of a university. The teacher should try to convince the students through rational arguments, not threaten them with lower grades. It is shameful that this person is teaching at a university."
Furthermore, one could also argue that these professorsFS are starting a slippery slope towards these type of crap standards permeating the rest of the University and becoming the norm?
On the flip-side, what if a professor said you cannot use the terms "undocumented immigrant" or "migrant worker" and must use the term "illegal alien" in their class? What do you think the Loony Left would do, sit idly on their hands?
Public statement from WSU regarding syllabi issue
August 31, 2015
PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University deeply values the tenets of freedom of expression for every member of our community, including all students, faculty and staff. Those First Amendment rights are reinforced in our policies, procedures and practices. Open dialogue, vigorous debate and the free exchange of ideas, as well as the language used to convey these ideas, are at the core of who we are as a higher education institution.
Over the weekend, we became aware that some faculty members, in the interest of fostering a constructive climate for discussion, included language in class syllabi that has been interpreted as abridging students’ free speech rights. We are working with these faculty members to clarify, and in some cases modify, course policies to ensure that students’ free speech rights are recognized and protected. No student will have points docked merely as a result of using terms that may be deemed offensive to some. Blanket restriction of the use of certain terms is not consistent with the values upon which this university is founded.
Free speech and a constructive climate for learning are not incompatible. We aim to cultivate diversity of expression while protecting individual rights and safety.
To this end, we are asking all faculty members to take a moment to review their course policies to ensure that students’ right to freedom of expression is protected along with a safe and productive learning environment.
http://m.csmonitor.com/2006/0706/p09s01-coop.html