Tag: University of Virginia
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Three Ideas for Protecting Civil Dialogue at UVa
by James A. Bacon On Oct. 11, 2023, journalist Abigail Shrier engaged in a Q&A session at the University of Virginia discussing the transgender movement in the United States. Offended by her views, transgender militants and their allies sabotaged attendance of the event, abrogated an agreement with university authorities restricting where to hold their protest,…
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Rising Costs Pushing UVa Tuition Higher
The Jefferson Council released the following press release this morning (Nov. 9, 2023): CHARLOTTESVILLE—Rising costs, not cutbacks in state aid, are primarily responsible for pushing tuition higher at the University of Virginia. State appropriations for UVa have declined sharply between 2002 and 2022 when adjusted for inflation and enrollment. But tuition has exploded over the…
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The Facts of the Matter
“You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.” — Daniel Patrick Moynihan: Dear President Ryan, Provost Baucom, and the Board of Visitors, The former New York senator’s famous quotation perfectly describes the October 8 statement posted by the “Students for Justice in Palestine at UVA” on its Instagram…
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UVa’s Modern-Day Barbarians
by James A. Bacon The latest round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has stirred up emotions at the University of Virginia more than any event since the George Floyd riots. Not only are students holding demonstrations and counter-demonstrations; faculty, parents, and alumni are chiming in. Eighty University of Virginia professors signed an open letter proclaiming themselves…
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In Defense of Painful Free Speech
by Allan Stam The horrific attacks of October 7th on Jews in Israel have prompted pro-Palestinian groups, including several at UVA, to rally in support of Hamas. In recent days, we have heard growing calls for support of Palestinians and condemnation of Israel as the Israeli Defense Forces and Iran’s proxies – Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic…
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Free Speech and Advocacy of Genocide
by James A. Bacon Chanting “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea,” hundreds of pro-Palestinian students held a protest on the Lawn at the University of Virginia yesterday. As reported by The Washington Free-Beacon, they demanded the Biden administration defund aid to Israel. The event was part of a national “walkout”…
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“Hate” Speech Does Not Make Students “Unsafe”
by James A. Bacon There is a widespread notion among militant leftists at the University of Virginia, as there is in universities across the Commonwealth, that exposure to objectionable ideas causes “harm” to those who hear them and, thus, should be suppressed. This logic is a totalitarian wolf in sheep’s clothing. While I do not…
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Anti-Jewish Extremism at UVa — Next Steps
by James C. Sherlock The University of Virginia has made quite a national name for itself over the responses of its campus anti-Jewish extremists to the slaughter of babies in Israel. It is not a reputation it wants. On October 8th, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at UVa, an organization officially recognized by the…
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The Incomplete Case for Higher Tuition at UVa
by James A. Bacon As the Board of Visitors ponders how much to raise tuition & fees in the next two academic years, the University of Virginia is grappling with strong inflationary pressures and a long-term shortfall in state aid, senior university administrators said Wednesday. Even so, administrators told the Board’s Finance Committee, UVa offers…
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“Seeking a Better World” by Defending the Beheaders of Babies
by James A. Bacon A week ago the Students for Justice in Palestine at UVA created a furor by publishing a statement defending Hamas’ attack on Israel. “Yesterday’s rebellion was not ‘unprovoked,’ as many have claimed, but is the consequence of years of mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and oppression from Israel,” the group wrote. “The…
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of UVa’s Transgender Movement
by James A. Bacon I learned a lot about transgender activists and advocates at the Abigail Shrier event at the University of Virginia last night. Some are bitter, angry people who hurl non-stop invective. Some are close-minded but willing to engage in rational conversation. But at least one is courteous, friendly and willing to engage…
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Jew-Hating Student Groups Crop Up Like Cockroaches. Virginia Is No Exception.
by Kerry Dougherty As the world gapes in horror at the atrocities committed against the people of Israel malignant clots of the perpetually disgruntled appear, like cockroaches. These brainwashed fans of Hamas cheer the murder of Jewish babies, the rape of Jewish women and the taking of Jewish hostages. They wave the Palestinian flag. They…
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University Boards’ Primary Duty is to the Commonwealth, AG Says
by James A. Bacon The primary duty of board members of Virginia’s public colleges and universities is to the commonwealth, not to the individual institutions, Attorney General Jason Miyares wrote Monday in response to an advisory opinion requested by Governor Glenn Younkin. According to Miyares’ missive, Youngkin asked whether Virginia law imposes upon boards of visitors…
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Woke Bloat at Virginia Universities
by James A. Bacon Step aside California! Public universities in Virginia have built larger diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) bureaucracies than taxpayer-funded universities in any other state, concludes a new backgrounder by The Heritage Foundation. The DEI bureaucracy at the University of Virginia includes 94 employees listed on its website, says the report. Virginia Tech…
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Don’t Get Too Fired Up About UVa’s FIRE Ranking
by Allan Stam The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) recently gave the University of Virginia a 6th-place ranking in a national survey assessing the state of free speech on college campuses. Provost Ian Baucom cited the recognition during Wednesday’s Board of Visitors meeting, noting that it was the highest ranking the university had ever…