Quote: Matter-eater Man said: I'm wondering if it is a case of a smaller pool of conservatives actually applying for the job like you say DK? If that is the case, what can Colleges do? I doubt it's legal to inquire if somebody is conservative or liberal. And that isn't a precedent I would like to see set anywhere.
I wouldn't want to see such a precedent either.
Besides, it's not impossible for liberals or conservatives to keep their personal biases out of the classroom.
My mom, a Jewish hardcore liberal, teaches International Relations, specializing in the Middle East. Outside of the classroom, she's very outspoken about her views, but she is very careful to present the information to her students without any bias or slant. She's even written essays (which she's currently trying to get published) criticizing Jewish organizations for encouraging Jewish professors to take a pro-Israel stance in the classroom, saying that teaching students a biased view of history and current events is a disservice to students.
I took an American Governemnt class with this one professor, and I had no way of knowing whether she was a liberal or a conservative (not that I really try to pick up on those sorts of things,) and I never found out until I saw a Bush/Cheney sticker on her car - and by that time, I'd already completed the course.
I think that professors should leave their personal biases outside the classroom. Just like I believe journalists should do. Their job is not to take sides. Their job is to provide information from an objective viewpoint. When they take sides, they are betraying their responsibility to the community.
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