Next Up, Gender Studies
By Stephen Schwager and Eddie Speir
Just as DEI offices are used as the administrative mechanisms to push Critical Race Theory, Critical Social Justice, and Gender, Trans, and Queer Ideologies, which, when taken together, as we explained previously, is the religion called Woke/Wokeism, Gender Studies programs and courses are the academic mechanisms by which these ideologies promulgate.
First steps have been taken in removing these destructive tenets of Wokeism from New College of Florida. The offices of DEI have been closed, its resources redirected, and its personnel reassigned. The same must be done with NCF’s Gender Studies program and courses.
It is important to note that Trustee Speir has spent much time on campus these last many weeks, meeting a variety of students with differing opinions, ideas, passions, and mutable and immutable characteristics. He has been impressed by their willingness to engage in thoughtful discussion despite disagreements on several issues. Trustee Speir values every one of these students. And Trustee Speir hopes to grow even further the variety of students at NCF while holding onto the precious ones currently on campus.
But just as the DEI office is antithetical to bringing unity to campus and promoting tolerance of all ideas, students, faculty, and staff, Gender Studies courses pushing dogmatic, toxic ideologies that serve only to divide and sow discord, distrust, and hostility have no place at an institution dedicated to rigorous academic scholarship and the free, open exchange of ideas.
It is common for colleges and universities to eliminate academic programs and disciplines. The reasons are sometimes budgetary, or due to lack of student success following graduation from specific programs, or because the courses no longer align with the mission of the institution. Going forward at New College of Florida, as we focus on expanding the range of scholarly pursuits by bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to campus and ensuring more successful outcomes for students following graduation, we will continue to recommend changes that further these goals.
We understand that pursuing this course of action will result in more public name-calling and wild accusations of ill intent. The raised voices will be loud and attempt to harm our efforts to improve NCF. They will use emotionally manipulative language that appeals to our senses of kindness and humanity. But their curses and denouncements are a cloak to hide an agenda that seeks disorder, destabilization, and disruption. They will not move us from the path that will set NCF on course to achieve its fullest potential.
Well stated! The venomous reaction to changes that WILL happen at NCF reveals a complete breakdown at NCF in vision and worse - like a family with the elephant of alcoholism in the room - a total denial of facts!
Here are the facts : 1. No college worldwide can exist with only 1/2 the number of students necessary to sustain its existence. None.
2. When faculty react both loudly and circuitously denouncing present students who welcome the changes, the depth of dishonor becomes visible: NCF has fallen far from the honor of advertising itself as “an honors college”open to all. It now has an agenda, one of intolerance. The only game here: Gender! Can a faculty that “ pretends” to be open minded because it pushes the popular far left agenda of queer theory EVER perceive that it has turned freedom on its head in fact wormed its way into power at NCF making it an intolerant college powered by the tyranny of the few?
I’m sorry, but no matter the nature of the few - even if your mythic system of beliefs considers this few to suffer disrespect - you still cannot take over a public state college and direct its entire program to one type of student, nor hire only faculty who will place that type above all others. If your desire is to create a queer theory college please raise funds and open a private college but to take over an entire system to fit one theory of human sexuality? No. Students or faculty involved in such a narrow emphasis must remove themselves to their own private institutions. Public education is a sacred right of all not an agenda-filled privately dominated singular issue anomaly. However there is already a singling out here: honors.
Honors IS special. It means you learn quickly and can achieve more in-depth than most students. NCF, therefore, must capture into its student body youth with the gifts to lead the way forward. Honors students have special privileges at all colleges: the gift of NCF - the promise here in the future is boundless. All students here should be from honors classes statewide. The advanced classes in all fields taught here could Bless our nation and our world magnificently. Just give newly chosen trustees the time - under this transitional President - to locate a President and faculty capable of answering the call to such meritocracy as already exists all across Florida in honors graduate. Get the word out: NCF is a place for the gifted that exists for accelerating learning. It’s a public college in our state, the pride of the potential of the gifted: a functioning undergraduate honors college with a worthy reputation.
Does this mean Nobel Prize worthy? Yes! Youth who begin here in time can reach the apex in complex fields that require the best minds achieve their highest reach! It means exactly that. 🌻🌻🌻
"destructive tenets of wokeism" - a word salad with no evidentiary foundation.
"The offices of DEI have been closed" - there was no "DEI" office. There was a single staff member, within a larger office, assigned *any* specific DEI tasks.
"..mutable and immutable characteristics" (of students) - I'm curious what types of characteristics you consider to fall into each of those two categories. Care to expound?
"Gender Studies courses pushing dogmatic, toxic ideologies that serve only to divide and sow discord, distrust, and hostility have no place at an institution dedicated to rigorous academic scholarship and the free, open exchange of ideas" - I agree with this statement.
Now, I challenge you to publicly identify any courses at New College that are actually doing this, with concrete evidence, and not just based on your opinion.