Most of the people entering the college-teaching ranks these days are true believing lefties, eager to spread their collectivist visions. A few, however, are cut from different cloth. One of them is Jon Murphy, a recent George Mason University grad who just spent his first year teaching at Western Carolina.
In today’s Martin Center article, Murphy reflects on his first year and offers some advice for other classical liberals who are thinking of following the same path. He’s rather optimistic, but realizes the serious problems we face.
He writes, “How can I be optimistic? There certainly are causes for pessimism about the future of freedom of thought, education, and the press. During my job search, many schools required DEI statements. In some of my interviews, DEI was the focus of questions. In one interview, a DEI officer was present and taking notes during the interview. Such behavior is chilling and reflects a lack of attention by the institution to ensuring quality education and a focus, rather, on certain non-educational goals.”
DEI is bad, but Murphy thinks it is beginning to recede. Let’s hope he’s right about that.
How about the students? Is college turning them into raving social-justice warriors? Murphy doesn’t think it’s doing much in that regard, writing, “Despite handwringing from the political Left and Right that students (kindergarten through undergrad) are being exposed to ‘wrong’ or ‘treasonous’ ideas or being ‘groomed’ in school, I don’t see extremist attitudes developing in my students. Most pay the minimum lip service to various DEI and other requirements, then go and do their own thing.”
Murphy also offers some advice for young faculty members who are starting out.
He also advises that a professor of his stripe should try to “be an ambassador, not a missionary.” In his view, “the best way to defend classical liberalism in the academy and promote intellectual freedom is to be a good ambassador for it. Rather than trying to convert students, we ought to live our values so that others can see what liberalism looks like. Show the virtues of a liberal education by living them.”
Read the whole thing.