The University of Delaware came under fire recently for its unusual questioning of student’s by their resident assistants. The Orwellian program requires the approximately 7,000 students in Delaware’s residence halls to basically adopt the university’s views on issues ranging from politics, to race, sexuality, sociology, moral philosophy, and environmentalism. One student came forward complaining that the line of questioning by his resident assistant, who was put in charge of the interviews, was “creepy” and unjust. This particular student was actually asked a question about his sexuality. Some students testified that the questions were suggestive of racism, and others suggested religious points of view. But all questions were persuasive in nature and were considered to be a type of direct “thought reform.”
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) called for the total dismantling of the program, which is a flagrant violation of students’ rights to freedom of conscience and freedom from compelled speech.“ The University of Delaware’s residence life education program is a grave intrusion into students’ private beliefs,” FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said. Oddly, the students living in university housing were required to attend meeting and training sessions and one-on-one meeting with their residents assistants, who were highly trained in the manipulative program themselves. The Gorilla cannot believe that in present day society, a university, of all things, is advocating thought reform by using age-old brainwashing techniques! Thankfully the program was recently dismantled, but hey- what was University President Patrick Harker thinking when he approve THIS program?
November 6th, 2007 at 7:00 am
I was appalled when I read about this in the news. And of all places at a university. Going to college is all about learning about diversity and making decisions for yourself and your beliefs. It is hard to believe that a public university would seek to undermine this and push their own agenda!
November 6th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
A failed experiment? A test to see what the “traffic will bear”? Were they wading into a brave new world, attempting to test how far the current society could be led without protest? The question we must ask is “why would a public University institute this type of program?” Stay alert friends, I do not think we have seen the last of this sort of thing. The next test will be a little better camouflaged.
After all, the major media outlets have been doing this sort of thing for years.