Wednesday, September 14, 2016

No Values Tests

The blog has been silent for awhile, in part because I was dean again for six months, in part because I was trying to get a book finished, and in part because I am Director of Undergraduate Studies in what has become one of Harvard's largest concentrations. My theory of computation course has 240 students this term, which creates problems, even if they are exactly the problems I want my field to have!
I and several of my colleagues penned an op-ed for the Crimson yesterday: No Values Tests, relating to the the policy on single-gender social organizations announced last spring. You can follow the Crimson links if this is all new to you and you care (I don't blame you if it's too much inside-Harvard-baseball for your tastes). I will just post it here without comment, except to say that I rather liked the graphic this blog attached to its commentary. FIRE also commented on it.

6 comments:

  1. A well reasoned argument. But there's it calls for a followup. If the finals clubs won't be banned, how can the university address their unfairness? I understand that one of the major complaints about finals clubs is that they provide special access to/support from alumni of those clubs. Might it be possible for Harvard to spend some of its wealth to provide the same access and support to all the student *not* in the finals clubs?

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    1. But that is an entirely separate question to which the announced policy bears no relevance at all. If the Final Clubs admit the female descendants of the hereditary aristocracy, the College will leave them alone. Hard to see why admitting the sisters of the overprivileged boys makes Harvard more egalitarian. I am not saying your concern is wrong, but it's beside the point of the conversation at hand.

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  3. It's a well-written piece, and I hope the faculty of Harvard finds it persuasive.

    What is the new book about?

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    1. It's a college advice book, aimed at students. Working title: Joy of College: Putting Freedom Back in Liberal Education. I actually like the ironic subtitle better: Getting an education in spite of going to college. If you are a publisher, let me know!

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