Our Response

NoIndoctrination.org’s Official Response to The Chronicle of Higher Education

Regarding the article "Web Site Lists Professors Who ‘Indoctrinate’ Students" by Thomas Bartlett, November 26, 2002.
URL of article: http://chronicle.com/daily/2002/11/2002112605n.htm

During the interview with Thomas Bartlett of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Luann Wright, President and Founder of NoIndoctrination.org, offered to email detailed information explaining why she was driven to form NoIndoctrination.org. Mr. Bartlett declined this offer, saying the article would be too short. Our decision to found NoIndoctrination.org was not based on our objections to any one course. However, that one writing course described in the article did initiate the study that led to this project.

The article says Luann Wright found her son’s UCSD writing course objectionable: "All the essays they had to read were race-related and I thought that was a little odd for a writing course." In response Warren Writing Director Linda Brodkey is quoted as saying, "We tried very hard to make a course that would introduce students to the range of issues they are expected to form opinions about." This writing course is supposed to prepare students to write well for any discipline. Are one-sided race essays preparing students for a "range of issues"? NoIndoctrination.org thinks not.

The fact that this writing course was centered on race, while certainly odd, was not what we found objectionable. What was egregious was that 4 of the 5 essays echoed what one of the essayists termed "the ruinous pathology of whiteness." (Ms. Wright mentioned this quote to Mr. Bartlett during the interview, but it was not included in the article.) According to article, Ms. Brodkey says "the course did not endorse one particular opinion over another on any issue." If this "writing" course was not pushing an agenda, why were the readings one sided? Why was a video on racism shown? Why did students have to defend themselves verbally in front of their classmates if they did not believe in racial preferences? Was this a writing course-- or a race course? It is this type of instruction that NoIndoctrination.org is fighting.

Luann Wright is quoted as saying, "I feel we’re doing our students a grave disservice when we have this sort of education where students take a writing course that is really more of a social programming course." Indeed, but required writing programs are not the only issue of concern to NoIndoctrination.org. We certainly expect professors to be able to voice their opinions. However, open hostility, ridicule, and the silencing of reasonable alternative social or political viewpoints do not make for a quality education. Too many of our postings report such abuse.

The article indicates that some professors are concerned that students do not identify themselves since the postings are presented anonymously. Our Web site addresses this concern on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page under the section titled "Why are the student postings anonymous?":

"Students would not post if they must do so with their names displayed on the posting. Students are vulnerable to reprisal. What our Web site is doing is standard practice in many fields-with university course evaluations serving as a most relevant example. Students evaluate their course and instructor anonymously. But unlike postings on NoIndoctrination.org, professors are given no recourse.

"Furthermore, student posters are required to give us their name and email address when they make a posting on our Web site. NoIndoctrination.org has this data, and we send posters emails if we need clarifications."

The end of the article concerns a posting on our Web site from Barnard College. Mr. Bartlett writes, "...according to a college spokeswoman, no one by that name teaches at Barnard and the course does not exist." The course and teacher did exist. After the posting was submitted, NoIndoctrination.org contacted the Economics Department at Barnard. We were told that while the professor did indeed teach at Barnard, she was not presently with the school. The department would not divulge her current whereabouts. The article’s implication is that these postings may be bogus. NoIndoctrination.org spends hours trying to verify the information presented in our postings and locating professors. In fact, one professor seemed quite indignant that we actually located her. We want to give all professors named an opportunity to respond, and we welcome their rebuttals.




NoIndoctrination.org is a nonprofit organization promoting open inquiry in academia.
Our Web site can be found at: http://www.NoIndoctrination.org
Those wishing to contact us may do so either by email or by letter to the following addresses:

     Email: administrator@NoIndoctrination.org

    NoIndoctrination.org
    P.O. Box 2783
    La Mesa, CA 91943-2783