tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612408794001483069.post7317852339089819872..comments2023-04-13T11:07:00.569-05:00Comments on The Scholar Redeemer: Discussions of TenureRobb Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01444784088593414298noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612408794001483069.post-18228417791414350552012-08-29T13:47:51.738-05:002012-08-29T13:47:51.738-05:00No, Anonymous, there are plenty of folks bothered ...No, Anonymous, there are plenty of folks bothered by this, and more has happened to another tenured member of the same department, this time widespread notoriety for unpopular research findings. It is the current nature of the academic beast.<br /><br />Efforts are being made on many fronts to counter this, many of which are quiet and behind the scenes, prayer not the least of them.<br /><br />Several opportunities exist for you, regardless of your situation to help:<br />1) Pray.<br />2) Train the children/youth in your life to think clearly and not swallow whole what people say, but fact check and research, even what Christians say.<br />3) Do the same in your own life.<br />4) Challenge other believers to do the same--sadly, many believers mindlessly grab on to sound bites and bumper sticker slogans that sound pro-faith, but display, sadly, shallowness and ignorance of the real complexities of the world. This stereotype of the mindless Christian makes our jobs harder to represent Christ in the academy. In this instance, the secularists ask how Protestant missionaries can improve standards of living when supposedly Protestant evangelicals like Westboro Baptist are who come to mind when the term evangelical is mentioned.<br />5)Help the church to pick its battles. For example, there is a rich diversity of opinion among solid Christians about how to interpret Genesis. We should celebrate a unity even and we passionately argue about Genesis 1-11. It does us no favors when Christians publicly call each other heretics over stuff like this.<br />6)Realize that college is not for everyone. It is a mistake to assume a college education is a guarantee of a better job/salary or LIFE CALLING. It isn't. Compare your salary to your mechanic's or plumber's. How does this help? It reduces the flow of income to colleges so they are forced to listen to the market. It also reduces the numbers of folks exposed to the rampant sophistry at much of the academy.<br />7)Vote with your dollars. Send your kids to schools that are fair and truly honor academic freedom, so truth can be discerned and not politically dictated. (Note this can include secular colleges and exclude some Christian ones.)<br />8)Be an active alum of your alma mater. Make your voice heard to the school with which you have the most pull.<br />9) Be creative. Use these ideas as a springboard.<br />10)Pray. (no, this is not a repeat. It is emphasis.)Robb Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01444784088593414298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612408794001483069.post-18340085401533079302012-08-29T13:27:14.963-05:002012-08-29T13:27:14.963-05:00Are you the only person upset by the fact that Bob...Are you the only person upset by the fact that Bob Woodberry was denied tenure? I can't find one other public source that has questioned this denial other than WORLD Magazine. I am distressed by the politically correct games universities seem to play. Is anyone going to stand up for this man?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612408794001483069.post-19548098373406367552011-06-22T08:05:16.257-05:002011-06-22T08:05:16.257-05:00Anonymous... did you not read the post?Anonymous... did you not read the post?Jason Leenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612408794001483069.post-88387745095512008502011-01-09T04:49:22.821-06:002011-01-09T04:49:22.821-06:00Why do university professors deserve this special ...Why do university professors deserve this special privilege of job immunity? No other profession has this right. There are definitely employment contracts within some businesses, but those are few and far between and are getting fewer. No doctor, mechanic, engineer, nurse, firefighter, journalist, librarian, or even politician has the institutional right to continue drawing a salary regardless of how good they are at their job. Sure, many of them do anyway, but only universities are so bold as proudly claim it as a tradition. Why do ivory tower professors deserve this? Tenure is an archaic institution which makes education worse, not better. When I was doing my BS, I attended classes taught by completely incompetent professors that had no business or interest teaching, that were a waste of my time and money. And this was in the late 1980s, before tuition skyrocketed. <br /><br />The freedom to explore controversial issues is secondary to the quality of education. Professors should be judged on merit, just like anyone else.<br /><br />Make academia merit-based just like literally any other profession. People who don't do their job should not be drawing a salary and benefits.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com