S>tate Rep. Betsy Close recently introduced three bills in the Oregon House she claims will protect “student academic freedom.” The bills are designed to allow students to opt out of required classes if they find the course material objectionable or if the material doesn’t relate to their major.
This is a scary proposition that threatens the integrity of higher education, and the bills must be stopped.
Close, a Republican from Albany, said her idea came from a case at Southern Oregon University. A freshman there, enrolled in the required core colloquium, was offended by some of Karl Marx’s writings and a depiction of rape. Under Close’s main bill, the student would have been able to either do different coursework or not take the class. But how would the student have known the material was offensive without reading it? Perhaps the student’s parents were aware of the potentially offensive material in advance.
No matter how one identifies ideas one doesn’t like, the notion that a student, or the Legislature, should be allowed to determine what constitutes a college education is frightening. The possibilities for abuse and extremism are endless.
A fundamentalist might object to any material that doesn’t promote a Christian God as the sole creator of the universe. That could rule out philosophy, literature and science. A Krishna devotee or Taoist adherent could find the promotion of capitalism, economics and Western history morally offensive.
The point here is that the value of a public college education comes from learning about a vast panorama of ideas. This is not a private school, where the administration and teachers can promote only one set of beliefs about the world. A public degree means something because it implies a well-rounded individual who knows a little about a lot of subjects and a lot about one or two areas of study.
Close would like to eliminate the value of our universities and allow students to pick and choose what’s OK for them to learn. One of her bills would allow students to opt out of classes not relating closely to their major. Wait one moment: That’s the point of college! If students want to take a narrow selection of courses all designed to train them in one field, they are free to go to trade or technical schools. A liberal arts education mandates courses outside one’s major on purpose.
The bottom line is this: The Legislature doesn’t need to be meddling with the state’s university curriculum. It’s micro-management, it’s bad politics and it’s an offensive idea. Close’s bill is currently sitting in a House subcommittee. Legislators should let it die there.