U-M Professor Politically Assaulted
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, THE MICHIGAN REVIEW Volume 12, Number 2 The Campus Affairs Journal of the University of Michigan September 22,1993 U-M Professor Politically Assaulted BY NATE JAMISON QQldberg's racist and sexist views, Goldberg's course racist and sexist, letter to the U-M administration de , Other complaints focused on , When the allegations first surfaced, fending Goldberg, to which they affixed HAT HAPPENS WHEN QQldberg's teaching style, which some Sociology Department Chair Howard 59 signatures, Nineteen other people academic freedom clashes describe as combative, claiming that it Schuman informed Professor Goldberg wrote letters on QQldberg's behalf, in Wwith the "politically correct" makes learning in his classroom diffi- and the complaining students that cluding philosophy professor Carl (PC) views of many students and fac- cult for women and minorities, QQldberg would no longer be teaching Cohen, who in a letter to the University ulty at the University of Michigan? Goldberg's accusers also cited prob- 510, and furthermore, that QQldberg Record expressed his disapproval of Should students be forced to take a lems with his exams. According to an would not be teaching any other courses the way the department handled the course taught by a professor whom they in-depth article on the subject - en- required by the department, ,'I affair, as well as his dissatisfaction believe is racist and sexist? These are titled "The QQldberg Affair" - which Schuman, however, soon changed his with the U-M's increasingly common just some of the questions that the U- appears in the September issue of the mind. According to the Observer, at an desire to promote sensitivity and diver M must ask itself in the wake of the Ann Arbor Observer, many students April 14 faculty meeting, faculty mem sity at the expense offree speech. latest academic scandal to hit campus were concerned with the difficulty of bers made it clear that they would not A disturbing aspect of the case is the - the Goldberg Incident. the second of two hourly exams. When support Golberg's removal. Schuman lack of a strong response by the admin David Goldberg, a professor in the questioned by his students as to why responded by creating another section istration. Aside from a few carefully U- M's Sociology department, is known the exam was so difficult, Goldberg of the course while allowing Goldberg worded, ambiguous replies, the U-M as an expert in the field of social statis- replied that he intended to determine to continue teaching 510. 'This compro has been silent on the matter. It seems tics, Last fall he taught Sociology 510, how much each student had learned. mise angered everyone involved. The willing to let Goldberg sink, lest it ap a required COUl'8e for all sociology gradu- This drew a flurry of complaints from students felt that Goldberg should not pear to be condoning insensitivity. ate students. Based on some of his in- some students, who took exception to be teaching the courSe at all, while his Currently, Professor Goldberg is class comments, he has been accused of the fact that some might be judged as supporters felt he had been declared teaching one oftwo sections of 510 (a racism and sexism, and thus pushed to being better than others. This sort of guilty and punished quietly in the ab course that usually attracts fewer than the forefront of the PC debate. evaluation, said the students, showed a sence of solid evidence of wrongdoing, 40 people). Schuman has resigned as Just what did Goldberg do to incite bias against women and minorities. A few weeks after the incident, sf!ll=' ~ head of the department. Richard this controversy? According to a flyer The most ridiculous example of era! sociology faculty members Wrote a Lumpert took over on September 3.m. distributed throughout campus on ' Goldberg's alleged violations dealt with March 31, 1993, by an anonymous group a cartoon in his 510 coursepack. 'The of graduate students" Goldberg cartoon depicts a caveman working on Michigan Conservative harrassed students in Me course be- a pair of dice while a cavewoman asks, cause of their "racial or ethnicidenti- "What kind of nonsense are you work- ties, gender, or sexual orientation." 'This ing on now?" Goldberg intended the Conference Scheduled alleged harassment supposedly ,oc- cartoon to poke fun at statistics, yet his curred in the context,, of several ex- accusers claim that it shows his "de- BY JAMES A. ROBERTS, n fending of heritage," says Christian amples u~ by Goldberg'to illustrate meaning attitude towards women" by Cali, chairman ofU-M SFA "History points in his lectures. depicting them as irrational compared ITH THE POLITICIZATION in this country," he articulates, "has Nl.UD.erouscomplainta involved in- to men, who are presumably more ra- of curricula and the restric [been] altered by people who with an Btanres,where Goldberg,tMtluatM'trueh .... tiona! because they can make dice, W tion of free speech common agenda that attempts to destruct tradi PC orthodoxies as the' assertions that 'ThrOughout the affair, Goldberg has place on American college campuses tional America." Many students across women·earn 59 cents for 'every dollar maintained his innocence. He says some today, an opposition to political correct the country are now receiving a politi that men earn, or that blacks score students 'wanted to find him racist and ness has been growing. Many of those cized education - one that leans exclu significantly lower than whites on stan- sexist and consistently misconstrued who lead this rebellion will meet on the sively to the left. Cali hopes that the dardized tests due to racial bias, his statements. He refuses to remove campus of the University of Michigan conference will educate students that In debunking what he saw as statis- the material in question from his course, at the end of this month, when the~ such leftist indoctrination in the class tical myths, Goldberg adjusted data for claiming it is not insensitive. first-ever Michigan Conservative Con room is a reality. By highlighting the variables such as age, education·and Goldberg also taught another social ference will be held, Sponsored by U importance of students' rights in the income distribution' to shoW that these statistics course, Sociology 210, which M Students for America (SFA) and as classroom, the conference, according to ao-oilled «tru.ths"'ateMto'infiillibl&/ahd " ,is essentially an undergraduate ver sisted by the U-M College Republi Cali, will encourage students "to stand that statistics can be int.ePpreted dif-" sioH ()f 510 and uses much of the same cans, the event will take place on Sep up for what they believe in and to reject ferently to reach divergenta>nclusions; ' , material Surprisingly, none of the same tember 29, 30, and October 1, with a a lot of the fads" that plague American 'Ibis application ofaeceptedilstattstical s aCCU8ati:enesurfaced among students prominent speaker featured each education today. techniques was descri~by his secus- · .in 210. 'The graduate students in 510 evening. ers 8S aim ply, amaltifeeta,tion' of < wenNq)Jlarently the only people to find "'Ibis [conference] concerns the de- See CONFERENCE, Page 9 A message to our readers ... In our continuing effort to bring you a quality . 1 Feel Your From Suite Music Pain One 11 newspaper, we have changed our publishing 3 4 schedule from once a week to once every other Uve From Ann Arbor: lJ-M football fans aren't Reviews of the latest . week. We believe that this new format will let us Crossfire! doing their part for the releases by The Breeders, dedicate more of our efforts to improving quality team. The Impatients, and more. while giving 'LIS the time to produce a great paper. ,•., ..... ,~,-...... -"" .. ~'''~''..,...,.." ..'' .;>'"' .. '''' ~,~, ~ ........-., ..,,~ ... '''''' '................. ~''''~ __ "'''__ ' l.'II1 "''''_ ''i'I! ow; .,., « ;u > 2 THE MICmGAN REVIEW September 22, 1993 ~. ~ " ~ ,, ;- THE i\lICHIG:\\ RE\,IE\\' The Campus Affairs Journal of the o THE SERPENT'S TOOTH University of Michigan 'We are the Establishment" EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Andrew Bockelman Something to consider in light of this Maryland. In case you're wondering, the state's Planned Parenthood League, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Tracy Robinson year's loss to Notre Dame: When asked that's all one place. "This is not a religious issue. This is PUBLISHER: Aaron Steelman if he had read Under the Tarnished about health." It's also about contribut EXECUTIVE EDITORS: Jay D. McNeill, Stacey Walker CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Nate Jarrison, Brian Schelke Dome, a book which details supposed Hurray for the ACLU! It seems their ing to the delinquency of a minor, since wrongdoings in the ND football pro Michigan executive director, Howard any 12 year-{)ld who engages in sex ASSISTANT EDITORS: Eddie Amer. James Roberts gram, Gary Moeller said, "I have not Simon, pressured the state's public would be committing statutory rape. MUSIC EDITORS : Chris Peters, Drew Peters read it and do not expect to read it prior schools to discourage students from Attorney Larry Crain argues that the COpy EDITOR: Chauncey Hitchcock to the game. I'm not into reading any attending prayer rallies at flag poles on district's action "inevitably entangles PHOTOGRAPHERS: Joe Westrate, Andy Wu ADVERTiSING DIRECTOR: Jon Lajiness books." Maybe he should read "Spot September 15. "See You at the Pole," the school and the child with an issue CIRCULA TION DIRECTOR: Eric Larson ting Your Receivers" to Todd Collins. sponsored by the American Center for which is at its core both religious and SYSTEMS ANALYST: Mtch Rohde Law and Justice (founded by evange ethical." Where's the ACLU? Church + MTS COORDINATOR: James Elek One more reason why the government list Pat Robertson of 700 Club fame), State + Condoms::: Bad.