This is just so sad. You know if this was reversed, it'd be front page news. Here I thought schools were about facts, not speculation or paranoia.

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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,154716,00.html 

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"9/11: The Road To Tyranny"?

A professor at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount is defending her course titled, "9/11: The Road to Tyranny," which teaches that the official story of the 9/11 attacks is actually a government cover-up. According to one required text, the attacks were orchestrated and carried out by U-S government elites themselves. Professor Jane Christensen insists, "I teach the truth about 9/11 ... This is a war by the extreme right wing motivated by the Zionists to quash academic freedom." So what does the school think about all this? Well, its President says, "We don't tell professors what to think. We don't tell professor what to teach. ... that's what [Saddam Hussein] did."

Sounds like a Poli-sci class that provokes responses and challenges your beliefs instead of feeding you pablum. Many college courses are not about giving facts, but are about expanding, testing, and challenging your knowledge and willingness or not to accept ideals that may be 180 degrees from what you currently find to be true.

" Well, its President says, "We don't tell professors what to think. We don't tell professor what to teach. ... that's what [Saddam Hussein] did." "

So I wonder if it would be acceptable for a mathematics teacher to teach us basket weaving?

Sometimes, college courses attempt to help us think outside the box. One of the classes required for a Ba in Religious Studies at my college is Baptist Ethics. At least twice, you will be called on to defend a position you disagree with. There has been incredible dislike for both the class and professor. Asking Christians to debate the positives of murdering unborn children tests the patience necessary to acquire some degrees.

So.... I could become a professor and teach a "murder and rape is good" course. It's challenging typical beliefs.

i could understand if the professor were to concede that this is her view of the events and not the absolute truth. this is garbage. the credibility of the institution is at stake, and they don't seem to care. yes, amazing and sad.

I would like to teach the cheerleaders (females only), Sex 101 thru 199.

LOL

JonR

lmao off at JonR. I hereby donate my services as student teacher. On the OP, there have to be guidelines. I may not be a fan of the current administration, but I don't buy this for a second. If she says she is teaching 'the truth' then she would probably be better off writing a book that lays out her facts - or calling Michael Moore with this 'truth'. Heck, I'd like to hear it, and be able to engage in debate with her, if she is one of those rare people that understands debating is not measured by the volume you speak at.

I'd like to see what 18Delta has to say on this one...

In some ways, a class like this may actually be good for a college student. The student will have to ponder this:

If I disagree with the teacher, do I voice my opinion or keep my mouth shut? If I voice my opinion, I will most likely receive a failing grade for the class. If I keep my mouth shut, I wont ruffle anyone's feathers and may pass the class.

It is an interesting dilemma that the student will probably face many other times in their life - both in their career and in ther personal life. Might as well get used to it now.

Yea... because this is never taught anywhere else in life. Give me a break, if that's what it's meant to be for, then call the class something other than 'truth.'

*in a mono-tone voice* I BELIEVE WHAT THE NEWS TELLS ME. IT IS THE TRUTH.

Captive audiance not allowed to express their opinions and manipulated by this nut case

OH i see Thom buys into it completly

*same mono tone* EI IS PERFECT.

I have never, ever, been in a college level class where I was a participant where I felt like, to quote EI -- "Captive audiance not allowed to express their opinions and manipulated" Every college class I was in allow me to ask questions and challenge any information given to me. Have you a different experience EI?

yes but your not worth explaining it to

I see...

thom,

have you ever had a professor present something as improbable as this as absolute fact? she is. i think that's what bothers me about it most. she's a nutcase.

Yes I have had something similar, the prof. presented evidence that reallity is not as we currently perceive but something completely different and the many ways that your mind will pick up only what it wants to (that's not a very good definition of the class but I think you get the idea). It was challenging and we all put him to task about it. Full of questions everyday. I remember some very religious girl walked out of class one day too. In the end I found what he was presenting to be more theory about another subject. He believed it completely, but to me it was interesting theory.

So you know this professor well enough to call her a nutcase?

Thom,

Question... is anything not open to discussion in your mind? Is everything depended on your point of view? I guess what I'm asking you is.... is there anything you consider wrong?