America's Colleges and Universities Fall into Disrepute

American institutions of higher learning increasingly function within an ideological bubble. When it comes to the humanities and social sciences they have given up the pretense of teaching students and have embraced a more radical agenda. They want to produce waves of social justice warriors. The junior Red Guards who walked out of school a few days ago are now readying themselves to join the march.

Of course, professors and college presidents are so enthralled with their own great ideas that they pay no attention to how it all looks to the public at large. Increasingly, the public is looking askance at institutions that have lost their mission and have become tools of radical leftist ideologues.

Reputation matters. It matters even for institutions of higher education. As more colleges and universities close and as other schools eliminate majors that students no longer consider to be worth the time and expense, a sea change is under way. Perhaps slowly, but surely.

The Washington Times reports the story and adds some remarks about the way college presidents see their current condition:

Soaring tuition costs, degrees of dubious value and nonstop student activism have combined to bring public confidence in the ivory tower tumbling down.

Even college and university presidents acknowledge that the country is becoming disillusioned with higher education. In a recent survey conducted by Inside Higher Ed and Gallup, 51 percent of institution leaders said the 2016 election “exposed that academe is disconnected from much of American society.”

The erosion of higher education’s brand comes as no surprise to Cornell Law School professor William A. Jacobson. He said the public’s negative perception of academia reflects the “reality of left-wing bias disconnected from American society.”

“Particularly in the humanities and social sciences, many faculty view political activism and indoctrination as a core part of their academic mission,” said Mr. Jacobson, who runs the Legal Insurrection blog. “While they may have the academic freedom to do so, there is a price to pay for the higher educational system.”

When asked to assess which factors are responsible for the negative view of higher education, 86 percent of college and university presidents cited the perception of liberal bias on campus.

Let us be clear. The problem is not liberal bias. The problem is radical leftist bias. Liberal used to mean open minded, willing to discuss ideas freely. The current wave of campus repression is aimed at shutting down debate and discussion. And in punishing anyone who would dare offering a discordant opinion.

As for the question of preparing students for careers, the college presidents have a point:

Ninety-eight percent of college presidents said concerns about affordability and student debt are factors contributing to higher education’s image problem, and 95 percent pointed to concerns about whether college education adequately prepares students for careers.

As for their point, it ought to be clear that the more these institutions teach the art of protest and the virtue of fighting for social justice, the less their students will be prepared to work in the real world. If a student walks into a job interview with a resume filled with courses in social justice and culture warfare, in ethnic studies and the Marxist fairy tales of the Frankfurt school, any hiring officer will understand immediately that this young person has been so thoroughly deformed, mentally, that he or she will not be capable of showing the requisite loyalty to the company or even to do a creditable job. It's not just ideas that have been drummed out of them. They have also overcome their work ethic. And they certainly do not believe in any jobs that would create wealth. If the job involves redistributing wealth that someone else has earned, they might be on board. After all, it assuages the guilt they feel over their white privilege.