The Problem With Education
Here is the problem with education. Ward Churchill is a tenured professor at the University of Colorado who gained his 15 minutes of national fame by comparing pre 9/11 Americans to Germans following the Nazis and calling American leaders little Eichmann’s for the genocide promulgated against the citizens of the middle east. He is clearly a left wing whacko, and his obscene rhetoric initiated an investigation as to just how this guy became a tenured professor at a major state university.
It turns out that Professor Churchill lives in a glass house and shouldn’t be throwing stones. He claimed that he was a member of an American Indian tribe, and that he was a descendent of same. He lied. In subsequent work, he misrepresented facts relating to the treatment of American Indians by the federal government; wrongfully claimed that Captain John Smith introduced smallpox into the Indian population during the 1600’s; and claimed that certain work done by a Canadian environmental group was done by him. Translated: he lied about his credentials; he lied about his research; and he plagiarized. This certainly is someone I would want teaching my kids.
The firestorm over his 9/11 comments and his blatant academic disohonesty ignited an effort to get him fired which has been pending for several years. Let’s be blunt. If a student plagiarized or lied on applications and resumes, that student would be dismissed summarily from any academic institution; but not the good professor.
The University of Colorado backed down from its initial decision to fire him and referred the matter to an academic committee for review. It found that Professor Churchill’s work was “below minimum standards of professional integrity and…required severe sanctions”. It further found that Professor Churchill “committed multiple acts of plagiarism, fabrication, and falsification”. Wow….this guy is a bad dude.
But instead of recommending that he be fired for lying to the University about his academic credentials, poor research ability, bad teaching skills, and plagiarism, the committee recommended that he be “suspended” for a year. What was this committee thinking? What happened to ethics and academic integrity? Are these guys nuts?
The Committee argued that while the professor’s conduct “shows misbehavior…(it isn’t)…the worst possible misbehavior”. Uhh...and the "worst possible behavior" is defined as what?
Contrary to popular belief, college level academicians are extremely well paid in the United States. Tenured college professors make big money, especially in big, state schools. The integrity of the school is rooted in a publish or perish mentality, and is tied directly to the integrity of those researching and the integrity of what is published. So now we know about the integrity of the University of Colorado….and only wonder how its graduates would deal with ethics issues surrounding research, plagiarism, and intellectual conclusions in a real life job situation. Martha Stewart, anyone?
I can't think of one possible reason why this guy should not be fired other than the left wingers in the school have circled the wagons around him. Only the loony left could conclude that there is “misbehavior", and "worst possible misbehavior” in this type of a circumstance. Don Imus’ “nappy headed hoe” comment looks like a walk in the park compared to this guy. As the popular media said of Imus, he has the right to say what he wants, not the right to be paid for it.
It turns out that Professor Churchill lives in a glass house and shouldn’t be throwing stones. He claimed that he was a member of an American Indian tribe, and that he was a descendent of same. He lied. In subsequent work, he misrepresented facts relating to the treatment of American Indians by the federal government; wrongfully claimed that Captain John Smith introduced smallpox into the Indian population during the 1600’s; and claimed that certain work done by a Canadian environmental group was done by him. Translated: he lied about his credentials; he lied about his research; and he plagiarized. This certainly is someone I would want teaching my kids.
The firestorm over his 9/11 comments and his blatant academic disohonesty ignited an effort to get him fired which has been pending for several years. Let’s be blunt. If a student plagiarized or lied on applications and resumes, that student would be dismissed summarily from any academic institution; but not the good professor.
The University of Colorado backed down from its initial decision to fire him and referred the matter to an academic committee for review. It found that Professor Churchill’s work was “below minimum standards of professional integrity and…required severe sanctions”. It further found that Professor Churchill “committed multiple acts of plagiarism, fabrication, and falsification”. Wow….this guy is a bad dude.
But instead of recommending that he be fired for lying to the University about his academic credentials, poor research ability, bad teaching skills, and plagiarism, the committee recommended that he be “suspended” for a year. What was this committee thinking? What happened to ethics and academic integrity? Are these guys nuts?
The Committee argued that while the professor’s conduct “shows misbehavior…(it isn’t)…the worst possible misbehavior”. Uhh...and the "worst possible behavior" is defined as what?
Contrary to popular belief, college level academicians are extremely well paid in the United States. Tenured college professors make big money, especially in big, state schools. The integrity of the school is rooted in a publish or perish mentality, and is tied directly to the integrity of those researching and the integrity of what is published. So now we know about the integrity of the University of Colorado….and only wonder how its graduates would deal with ethics issues surrounding research, plagiarism, and intellectual conclusions in a real life job situation. Martha Stewart, anyone?
I can't think of one possible reason why this guy should not be fired other than the left wingers in the school have circled the wagons around him. Only the loony left could conclude that there is “misbehavior", and "worst possible misbehavior” in this type of a circumstance. Don Imus’ “nappy headed hoe” comment looks like a walk in the park compared to this guy. As the popular media said of Imus, he has the right to say what he wants, not the right to be paid for it.
Professor Churchill should be fired, and fired now.
Comments