Scrutiny of university classrooms is being formalized, with new laws requiring professors to post syllabuses and tip lines for students to complain.
College professors once taught free from political interference, with mostly their students and colleagues privy to their lectures and book assignments. Now, they are being watched by state officials, senior administrators and students themselves.
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And several states, including Texas, Ohio and Florida, have created laws requiring professors to publicly post their course outlines in searchable databases.
The increased oversight of professors comes as conservatives expand their movement to curb what they say is a liberal tilt in university classrooms. In the last couple of years, they have found sympathetic ears in state legislatures with the power to pressure schools, and their efforts have gained momentum as the Trump administration has made overhauling the politics and culture on campuses a focus.
But all of this, some professors and free-expression groups say, is leading to a wave of censorship and self-censorship that they argue is curbing academic freedom and learning.
What they think these tip lines will give: “My professor is dangerously woke, he used someone’s pronouns today and is clearly some kind of terrorist”
What they’ll actually get: about 1000 variations of “This course is too hard; I shouldn’t have to attend the classes to pass”
Source: I teach at a university and we get a few if these every year; “ghosts” who think that paying a fee magically entitles them to a passing grade regardless of the quality of work they submit.