During the McCarthy era, my dad — a University of Michigan professor — was asked by the FBI to name communists or other subversives at the University.

During the McCarthy era, my dad — a University of Michigan professor — was asked by the FBI to name communists or other subversives at the University. He refused. He told us they came several times to his office to pressure him, even threatening him with being called before the Committee (a career-ending event everyone feared). He refused every time. The University administration backed him up. A decade later I overheard some faculty (partygoers at our house) talking about the events with respect.

I never thought those days would come again.

Don’t be a snitch on friends and colleagues. Don’t cooperate. Keep your self respect and earn the esteem of others. Plus it is the right thing to do.

During the McCarthy era, my dad — a University of Michigan professor — was asked by the FBI to name communists or other subversives at the University. He refused. He told us they came several times to his office to pressure him, even threatening him with being called before the Committee (a career-ending event everyone feared). He refused every time. The University administration backed him up. A decade later I overheard some faculty (partygoers at our house) talking about the events with respect.

I never thought those days would come again.

Don’t be a snitch on friends and colleagues. Don’t cooperate. Keep your self respect and earn the esteem of others. Plus it is the right thing to do.

@lonelystone Seems that way from what I hear. How can administration be so out of touch with the values dear to higher education?

@lonelystone Seems that way from what I hear. How can administration be so out of touch with the values dear to higher education?

@meltedcheese

Here in Florida, where we are unfortunately ahead of the curve in succumbing to fascism, university administrations have caved to a hostile state government by telling us, "It is far better that we acquiesce because, if we don't, they will replace us (the administrators) with something worse." What's worse is that the faculty, who have had tenure protections removed, fall for it hook, line, and sinker. With tenure being taken away by what is called post tenure review (a review with possible termination every 5 years), it has made the administration more powerful, the faculty much weaker, and the university system corrupted by the whims of politics.

@lonelystone

During the McCarthy era, my dad — a University of Michigan professor — was asked by the FBI to name communists or other subversives at the University. He refused. He told us they came several times to his office to pressure him, even threatening him with being called before the Committee (a career-ending event everyone feared). He refused every time. The University administration backed him up. A decade later I overheard some faculty (partygoers at our house) talking about the events with respect.

I never thought those days would come again.

Don’t be a snitch on friends and colleagues. Don’t cooperate. Keep your self respect and earn the esteem of others. Plus it is the right thing to do.

@lonelystone Seems that way from what I hear. How can administration be so out of touch with the values dear to higher education?

@meltedcheese @lonelystone Because so many institutions of higher education have just become rent-seeking and financialization enterprises that do a little education on the side.

@Brad_Rosenheim @meltedcheese @lonelystone

Best wishes from Germany: I didn't know that things had become SO bad for you.

I wish you courage and strength.

Is there anything we can do for you?

@MisuseCase @meltedcheese @lonelystone

I think this is the answer.

(A lot of universities are, to a lesser or greater extent, just real-estate businesses which run an education business on the side. This is genuinely bizarre but I think strengthens your point.)