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Record for NoIndoctrination.org entry #2734.

California State University, Northridge (CSUN)

May. 26, 2009

http://www.csun.edu

Course: CAS 310: Modern History of The Central American People

Course Catalog Description: Survey of the History of Central Americans from Independence times to the present. Major topics include: Independence movements; 19th and 20th century dependency; state-nation and identity formation; politics of mestizaje; Indigenous resistance; imperialism and economic growth; relations with the United States and Europe; politics of development; contemporary social movements; Central American diaspora.

Professor: Celia Simonds

Required? Met a General Ed./diversity/other requirement with a few course options.

Lecture Bias: Excessive

Comments: In the beginning of the class, we were actually learning about the history of Central America. However, as the semester progressed, Professor Simonds began to slowly influence her class with communist ideologies. Suddenly, she also began to speak negatively about the United States, telling the class that Americans were essentially violent people who caused wars. While I understand that the U.S. isn't the most innocent nation in the world, I don't appreciate how she attempted to turn the class against this country.

She played videos which attacked the U.S. and glorified communism. For example, we watched a video of "Operation Just Cause" in Panama. The video did little of explaining all the negative things that Manuel Noriega did and focused mainly on the disaster that the U.S. caused. I have studied Noriega, and I know that he caused a lot more damage than the video expressed. She talked about how the Cuban government is more concerned with providing health care and education than being materialistic. She also played a video about Cuban Leader Fidel Castro. Again, it glorified him and it sounded like there were no struggles in Cuba. I recall that a student questioned her about Castro's firing squads (which were not mentioned in the video). Professor Simonds said that the reason Castro killed people was because he was defending his revolution. Her answer seemed to justify the killing of those who do not support Castro. What I don't understand is how she could support Castro's killing of non-supporters and then always fault the United States? Certainly Professor Simonds has a right to her own opinions, but I also think professors have a responsibility to be fair and honest in their teachings—-without letting their personal ideologies blur the truth.

Discussion Bias: Excessive

Comments: Professor Simonds led the discussions in class. She did ask us what we thought, but she did NOT leave the class open for debate. The few times a student would bring up an opposing point, she would have a big grin on her face, as if the student was just naive. I don't know if such behavior counts as ridicule, but it certainly does not promote honest debate or open inquiry. Most of the time, my classmates just seemed to agree with her, and I also agreed on some things. But when it came to the issue of glorifying communism and trying to indoctrinate the class, I did not agree at all.

Readings Bias: N/A

Comments: I didn't really notice anything biased in the class readings. Her bias opinions were mainly expressed in her lectures and videos.

General Comments: [From the CSUN Professional Responsibility Statement http://www.csun.edu/senate/SEC/Section%20604%20-%20Professional%20Responsibility.pdf
A professor--
* "Allows students the freedom to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in a course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion."
* "Encourages the free pursuit of learning in student."
* "Practices, fosters, and defends intellectual honesty, freedom of inquiry and instruction…"]

I’m not against learning negative things about the U.S., but students need facts (not opinions) in order to draw their own conclusions about difficult issues. On many occasions during the course, I had a hard time separating facts from Professor Simonds’ bias. (She does a good job making her personal opinion appear to be fact, and I think most students were influenced by her bias.) Students also need to feel free to challenge a professor’s views, without fear of condescension. We don’t need professors passionately passing on their personal ideological biases as truth.

The Central American Studies Program has identified five learning outcomes on its homepage (http://www.csun.edu/cas/). The first is"Students will develop critical thinking, writing, and reading skills." It seemed as if "critical thinking" in this course was selective: to be "critical" of the U.S.

Rebuttal

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