University of Delaware Requires Students to Undergo Ideological Reeducation

[stephanie]

There's a lot of highlighted references in the article, so you might want to go there and read the whole thing...


October 30, 2007

FIRE Press Release

NEWARK, Del., October 30, 2007—The University of Delaware subjects students in its residence halls to a shocking program of ideological reeducation that is referred to in the university’s own materials as a “treatment” for students’ incorrect attitudes and beliefs. The Orwellian program requires the approximately 7,000 students in Delaware’s residence halls to adopt highly specific university-approved views on issues ranging from politics to race, sexuality, sociology, moral philosophy, and environmentalism. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) is calling for the total dismantling of the program, which is a flagrant violation of students’ rights to freedom of conscience and freedom from compelled speech.


“The University of Delaware’s residence life education program is a grave intrusion into students’ private beliefs,” FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said. “The university has decided that it is not enough to expose its students to the values it considers important; instead, it must coerce its students into accepting those values as their own. At a public university like Delaware, this is both unconscionable and unconstitutional.”


The university’s views are forced on students through a comprehensive manipulation of the residence hall environment, from mandatory training sessions to “sustainability” door decorations. Students living in the university’s eight housing complexes are required to attend training sessions, floor meetings, and one-on-one meetings with their Resident Assistants (RAs). The RAs who facilitate these meetings have received their own intensive training from the university, including a “diversity facilitation training” session at which RAs were taught, among other things, that “[a] racist is one who is both privileged and socialized on the basis of race by a white supremacist (racist) system. The term applies to all white people (i.e., people of European descent) living in the United States, regardless of class, gender, religion, culture or sexuality.”


The university suggests that at one-on-one sessions with students, RAs should ask intrusive personal questions such as “When did you discover your sexual identity?” Students who express discomfort with this type of questioning often meet with disapproval from their RAs, who write reports on these one-on-one sessions and deliver these reports to their superiors. One student identified in a write-up as an RA’s “worst” one-on-one session was a young woman who stated that she was tired of having “diversity shoved down her throat.”

read the rest..
http://thefire.org/index.php/article/8555.html

[glockmail]

Diversity of opinion is unnacceptable to liberals.

[Abbey Marie]

Chairman Mao would be so proud!

If my daughter goes there, I'll tell her to get off-campus housing. Btw, what can the University do to a student who fails to be indoctrinated? If nothing but express displeasure and do write-ups that really go nowhere, students should refuse to attend the "worker" meetings.

[glockmail]

Chairman Mao would be so proud!

If my daughter goes there, I'll tell her to get off-campus housing. Btw, what can the University do to a student who fails to be indoctrinated? If nothing but express displeasure and do write-ups that really go nowhere, students should refuse to attend. On-campus is required at a lot of campii for freshman. If that's the case and they try this with my kids I'll give them this advice: shove it back at them and make them tell you what's wrong about diversity of opinion and freedom of expression.

[Gaffer]

Welcome to the reeducation centers of the future. The best way to instill communism in America is through the young. It was first instituted by hitler with the hitler youth programs. The communists modified it and improved on the indoctrination. The muslims use a similar method.

If this country becomes an orwellian state it won't be under right wing control.

[Abbey Marie]

Welcome to the reeducation centers of the future. The best way to instill communism in America is through the young. It was first instituted by hitler with the hitler youth programs. The communists modified it and improved on the indoctrination. The muslims use a similar method.

If this country becomes an orwellian state it won't be under right wing control.

The indoctrination starts in elementary school, and if Edwards has his way, it will start in pre-school.

[Guernicaa]

Chairman Mao would be so proud!

If my daughter goes there, I'll tell her to get off-campus housing. Btw, what can the University do to a student who fails to be indoctrinated? If nothing but express displeasure and do write-ups that really go nowhere, students should refuse to attend the "worker" meetings.
Maybe your daughter will actually learn something when she goes to college.

Hillary Clinton did.

[Gaffer]

The indoctrination starts in elementary school, and if Edwards has his way, it will start in pre-school.

Very true. But this idea is to pick up those kids they missed in the lower grades.

[Abbey Marie]

Maybe your daughter will actually learn something when she goes to college.

Hillary Clinton did.

And here's hoping you learn something! I have faith in you.

[Gaffer]

And here's hoping you learn something! I have faith in you.

He's already been indoctrinated. He's a useful idiot now.

[glockmail]

He's already been indoctrinated. He's a useful idiot now.
Truer words have not been written.

[avatar4321]

Maybe your daughter will actually learn something when she goes to college.

Hillary Clinton did.

So brainwashing is acceptable to you?

[glockmail]

So brainwashing is acceptable to you? "They" call it something else. Something more PC. Re-definition of the English language to make it mor palitable to the masses is a hallmark of Liberals.

[avatar4321]

"They" call it something else. Something more PC. Re-definition of the English language to make it mor palitable to the masses is a hallmark of Liberals.

But it's brainwashing none-the-less.

My cousins went to the UofD im asking them what the heck they think of it.

[glockmail]

But it's brainwashing none-the-less.

My cousins went to the UofD im asking them what the heck they think of it.
No argument with me on that one. I'm betting they think the whole things a frigging sorry ass joke. The current generation is bound to rebel against the liberal establishment big time, and in 30-40 years we'll have patriots teaching on college campii.

[actsnoblemartin]

Diversity to liberalism is total acceptance of their ideas without question, or you are the enemy, an uncle tom,a bad jew, a red neck, a dumb asian.

take your pick


Diversity of opinion is unnacceptable to liberals.

[Classact]

There's a lot of highlighted references in the article, so you might want to go there and read the whole thing...


October 30, 2007

FIRE Press Release

NEWARK, Del., October 30, 2007—The University of Delaware subjects students in its residence halls to a shocking program of ideological reeducation that is referred to in the university’s own materials as a “treatment” for students’ incorrect attitudes and beliefs. The Orwellian program requires the approximately 7,000 students in Delaware’s residence halls to adopt highly specific university-approved views on issues ranging from politics to race, sexuality, sociology, moral philosophy, and environmentalism. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) is calling for the total dismantling of the program, which is a flagrant violation of students’ rights to freedom of conscience and freedom from compelled speech.


“The University of Delaware’s residence life education program is a grave intrusion into students’ private beliefs,” FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said. “The university has decided that it is not enough to expose its students to the values it considers important; instead, it must coerce its students into accepting those values as their own. At a public university like Delaware, this is both unconscionable and unconstitutional.”


The university’s views are forced on students through a comprehensive manipulation of the residence hall environment, from mandatory training sessions to “sustainability” door decorations. Students living in the university’s eight housing complexes are required to attend training sessions, floor meetings, and one-on-one meetings with their Resident Assistants (RAs). The RAs who facilitate these meetings have received their own intensive training from the university, including a “diversity facilitation training” session at which RAs were taught, among other things, that “[a] racist is one who is both privileged and socialized on the basis of race by a white supremacist (racist) system. The term applies to all white people (i.e., people of European descent) living in the United States, regardless of class, gender, religion, culture or sexuality.”


The university suggests that at one-on-one sessions with students, RAs should ask intrusive personal questions such as “When did you discover your sexual identity?” Students who express discomfort with this type of questioning often meet with disapproval from their RAs, who write reports on these one-on-one sessions and deliver these reports to their superiors. One student identified in a write-up as an RA’s “worst” one-on-one session was a young woman who stated that she was tired of having “diversity shoved down her throat.”

read the rest..
http://thefire.org/index.php/article/8555.html

Is there any proof that the UD demands students take this indoctrination and if so what is the reference? I went to the UD website and couldn't find anything but a race sensitivity thing that wasn't mandatory.

[stephanie]

Is there any proof that the UD demands students take this indoctrination and if so what is the reference? I went to the UD website and couldn't find anything but a race sensitivity thing that wasn't mandatory.

I saw they put out a statement today where they said it wasn't mandatory..
But...this story is all over the net so we'll be seeing more about it, I'm sure..

[Kathianne]

I saw they put out a statement today where they said it wasn't mandatory..
But...this story is all over the net so we'll be seeing more about it, I'm sure..
They made it 'more clear' today, ;)

http://www.thefire.org/index.php/article/8585.html


Victory at University of Delaware
University Dumps Thought Reform Program

November 1, 2007
Late Thursday, University of Delaware President Patrick Harker released on the school’s website a Message to the University of Delaware Community terminating the university’s ideological reeducation program, which FIRE condemned as an exercise in thought reform. He stated, “I have directed that the program be stopped immediately. No further activities under the current framework will be conducted.” Harker also called for a “full and broad-based review” of the program’s practices and purposes. While concerns remain about the University of Delaware’s commitment to free expression, FIRE commends President Harker for his decision to immediately terminate the Orwellian residence life education program. FIRE will have more on this development tomorrow. President Harker’s message is reproduced in full below.

A Message to the University of Delaware Community

Nov. 1, 2007

The University of Delaware strives for an environment in which all people feel welcome to learn, and which supports intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, free inquiry and respect for the views and values of an increasingly diverse population. The University is committed to the education of students as citizens, scholars and professionals and their preparation to contribute creatively and with integrity to a global society. The purpose of the residence life educational program is to support these commitments.

While I believe that recent press accounts misrepresent the purpose of the residential life program at the University of Delaware, there are questions about its practices that must be addressed and there are reasons for concern that the actual purpose is not being fulfilled. It is not feasible to evaluate these issues without a full and broad-based review.

Upon the recommendation of Vice President for Student Life Michael Gilbert and Director of Residence Life Kathleen Kerr, I have directed that the program be stopped immediately. No further activities under the current framework will be conducted.

Vice President Gilbert will work with the University Faculty Senate and others to determine the proper means by which residence life programs may support the intellectual, cultural and ethical development of our students.


Patrick Harker
President

[Abbey Marie]

IMO, he's just embarasssed by the negative attention. Here is the part where he communicates that he really believes in such thought re-education:


While I believe that recent press accounts misrepresent the purpose of the residential life program at the University of Delaware...

[Trigg]

IMO, he's just embarasssed by the negative attention. Here is the part where he communicates that he really believes in such thought re-education:

...

This shows how much the internet makes a difference. In yrs past this story would never have made it out of the area. Media outlets would have more than likely, ignored it.

[Immanuel]

IMO, he's just embarasssed by the negative attention. Here is the part where he communicates that he really believes in such thought re-education:

...

I agree and my thought was, "yeah, he's nixed it for now, but how long before that monster rears its ugly head again under different auspices."

Immie

[avatar4321]

I agree and my thought was, "yeah, he's nixed it for now, but how long before that monster rears its ugly head again under different auspices."

Immie

from the conversation from my cousins the other night apparently theyve been interviewing the students on these topics for years. This version, however, is a much more recent version of the program.