Indoctrination on campus, such as the residential life program at the University of Delaware, is not limited to students. Faculty members are also on the receiving end.

One of the most blatant examples came early in my university teaching experience, when the annual spring faculty conference featured a session on �White Belligerence in the Academy.� The promotional brochure said that

Like previous white calls�Remember the Alamo! Remember Little Big Horn! Remember the Maine! Remember Pearl Harbor! Remember 9-11 has recently become a racially quoted term among whites to question non-EuroAmerican views and beliefs.

This workshop will explore an understanding that academia is not immune from invoking the Remember 9-11! call. Discussion may include how faculty of color can minimize exposing themselves to white belligerence in the academy.

Never mind that the people who died in the September 11 attacks came from dozens of countries. Never mind that the people who died included virtually every racial, ethnic, gender and religious category. Never mind that the destruction of critical infrastructure disrupted banking and closed stock and bond markets, causing huge economic losses. No, those who remember 9-11 are expressing �white belligerence in the academy,� oppressing �faculty of color� and �question non-Euroamerican views and beliefs.�

That is simply indoctrination targeting the faculty, approved and financed by the administration and our tax dollars. The post-conference administrative recognition of the faculty presenter is still available on-line (scroll down to page 6).

Unfortunately, the adverse effects of such narcissistic pseudoacademic nonsense (published here), are not limited to our faculty. A student described how concern over "white belligerence" spilled over into adverse behavior in the classroom.

As King noted, �we are lucky to have found this evidence in the Delaware case... There are more Delawares.� Sunshine remains the best disinfectant.

Labels: higher education