Tag: University of Virginia
-
The Bureaucratic Banality of Academic Oppression
by James A. Bacon Two-and-a-half years ago, Kieran Ravi Bhattacharya, a medical school student at the University of Virginia, attended a session on “microaggressions” in which psychology professor Beverly Colwell Adams gave a presentation about her research. In what he thought to be a collegial manner, Bhattacharya challenged her analysis. The challenge was not well…
-
The Real King Ralph (Sampson, not Northam) Saves the White Spot!
by Don Rippert Double Gus, all the way. Students who attended The University of Virginia going all the way back to 1953 are likely to be familiar with the White Spot “restaurant.” The term “restaurant” is in quotes because The Spot, as it is affectionately known, is a hole in the wall that originally had…
-
The UVa School of Education Provides Exclusive Analysis for State Early Childhood Education Policy
by James C. Sherlock Sometimes thumbing through the state Budget Bill, HB1800 (Enrolled), one finds something other than what one is looking for. I was examining the Education budget, and specifically the Department of Education, Central Office Operations, Item 137, Instructional Services (18100). That is where the massive infusion of federal COVID education dollars are found. The instructional…
-
Would Someone Enroll the UVa Board in These Courses, Please?
by James A. Bacon Like most higher-ed critics, Bacon’s Rebellion conducts analysis of Virginia’s higher-ed institutions from a politically conservative perspective. Colleges and universities have mostly gotten a pass from commentators on the left wing of the political spectrum because, I would suggest, colleges and universities are almost all leftist-dominated institutions. But there are occasional…
-
UVa’s Lawn Signage Controversy Flares Anew
by James A. Bacon The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), an organization dedicated to defending freedom of expression and conscience on America’s college campuses, has sided with fourth-year student Hira Azher regarding her right to post political speech on the door of her room on the Lawn at the University of Virginia. A…
-
Introducing The Jefferson Council Website
by James A. Bacon A fabulous new website (edited by yours truly), The Jefferson Council, tracks governance and culture-war issues at the University of Virginia. Much of the content is recycled from Bacon’s Rebellion, but we’re hoping that The Jefferson Council will grow into a vibrant stand-alone forum for the exchange of views about UVa’s…
-
Higher-Ed’s Endless Mission Creep
by James A. Bacon Based on informal observation of Virginia’s public colleges and universities over many years, I have oft lamented “mission creep” as a factor pushing the cost of college attendance ever higher. But I never explored the idea systematically. Fortunately, a new study has done that job for me. In “Priced Out: What…
-
Sign Standards for UVa’s Lawn Upheld
by James A. Bacon No longer will it be permissible for residents of the University of Virginia’s rooms on the Law to post large signs on their doors proclaiming, “F— UVA,” as a Lawn resident did last semester. Under new policies issued by the University administration, Lawn residents will have to confine their profane proclamations…
-
Demanding Openness about UVa’s Cost Structure
by James A. Bacon Last week the University of Virginia Board of Visitors held a workshop to discuss next year’s increase in tuition, fees, and other charges and to hear input from the public — mostly students begging the board for relief from the ever-escalating cost of attendance. A PowerPoint presentation released at the meeting…
-
UVa Board Ponders 3.1% Hike in Tuition & Fees
by James A. Bacon The University of Virginia Board of Visitors is considering raising in-state undergraduate tuition up to 3.1% next year and hiking student fees by $114. The increases potentially would add $554 to tuition and fees next year, bringing the total to $17,860, reports the Daily Progress. Including room, board, books and other…
-
UVa Committee to Study Free Expression Issues
by James A. Bacon The University of Virginia has created two new committees: one to articulate the university’s commitment to free expression and inquiry, and another to examine naming and memorials on the grounds (as the UVa campus is referred to). “We are working to give voice to our commitment as an educational institution to…
-
Restructuring Higher Ed for Greater Produktivität
by James A. Bacon Last month the University of Virginia Board of Visitors approved a recommendation to eliminate the M.A. and PhD programs in the Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures. While UVa students retained a healthy appetite for learning to read and speak in German, only a few showed an interest in plumbing the…
-
Another Higher-Ed Apologist Calls for More State Funding
by James A. Bacon You’d think James Socas would know better. As an employee of the Blackstone Group, he invests in technology companies. He knows what it takes to run successful business enterprises. He has even served two terms on UVa’s alumni association board. But he’s willing to cut Virginia public universities plenty of slack when it…
-
UVa and Tech — Less Intolerant than Other Elite Universities
by James A. Bacon I have been critical of Virginia’s colleges and universities, especially the University of Virginia, for the intolerance of conservative political and cultural viewpoints. But there’s another side to the story, and I believe in presenting all the evidence, not just the facts that fit my narrative. By the standards of other…