The article by Mark Bauerlein [“Conformity in Academia, Explained,” published Aug. 12] was illuminating about teaching opportunities and job advancement in universities. He says the approval of others determines your path. When high school students apply to attend college or graduate programs, they are approved or denied by admissions officers. Later on, if you decide to apply to a university for a job, the hiring committee will decide if you are good for the position. The biggest hurdle is to win a permanent job or “tenure” at the university. Your colleagues anonymously decide that. Conformity with rigid social norms is all-important. Someone who has not fit into the current mode of thought is not approved.
How scary. Conservatives do not stand a chance. There are legal guidelines about diversity regarding race, ethnicity, and income, but none about political beliefs.
I believe that federal dollars should not go to a university that does not have a spectrum of diverse political views. I especially worry as many family members do, about their young people going off to college. I pray that my grandson will not be brainwashed by these liberal and/or “woke” professors.
Patricia Leary
