To the Class of 2009 and those who are new to Brown, I'd like to bring you up to date on a controversy that is currently taking this campus hostage: the issue of intellectual diversity.
Here's the pitch: conservatives and other proponents of intellectual diversity claim that conservative students feel threatened by the overwhelming political opposition they face on campus. These students are intimidated enough by their leftist professors that they become restricted in their contribution to classroom debate. In short, the free exchange of ideas becomes stifled, and learning suffers.
Given that an overwhelming majority of the Brown faculty lean leftward, they further argue, it would be only fair to take into account political ideology when considering which new professors to hire.
For the record: I am sympathetic to the cause of "intellectual diversity." But I do not agree with the above arguments.
If any professor presents enough personal political opinion to intimidate those in the classroom with differing viewpoints, then that's a problem. But the answer is not to hire professors with different political opinions. The answer is to fire any such irresponsible professors.
The real issue here is not diversity; it is quality of learning. And the quality of our intellectual inquiry would not necessarily improve with balanced political thought. For the sake of students, the only benefit is to hire the very best professors, regardless of their personal ideologies. These professors refrain from blatantly displaying personal opinion in the classroom, but do create an environment where students can learn and discuss ideas from across the political spectrum. A more conservative faculty wouldn't necessarily make for better professors; it would only make for a more conservative faculty.
Intellectual diversity and David Horowitz's crusade to foment conservatism on college campuses was one of Brown's hot debates last year. We saw it in The Herald's opinions columns, we heard it at President Simmons' addresses to undergraduates, we talked about it in the dining halls and in our dorm rooms. The issue has become a national political debate. The college campus might be the last American stronghold that conservatives have yet to conquer. Many state legislatures have introduced an "academic bill of rights," which, in effect, would mandate schools to monitor the political persuasions of faculty and guest speakers.
But it's important to think about this issue in a broader context. As students, we shouldn't limit ourselves by focusing on just the political issue of intellectual diversity. We should strive to achieve it in all parts of campus life - not just the time we spend in the classroom. Thoughtful and insightful conversations do not only take place under the watchful eye of a partisan professor. In my time here, some of the best discussions in which I've participated have popped up during late-night hangouts or walks across campus. In situations like these, it is our responsibility to encourage the free exchange of differing opinions, and listen to those opinions carefully.
This is a left-leaning campus, with a left-leaning student body. Odds are good that you, dear reader, don't like George W. Bush very much. You probably support the right to an abortion, too. So find someone who does like Bush or who is pro-life, then, and start a conversation. Maybe your roommate supports the war, or has a markedly different opinion of organized religion than you do. Now is the time to find out.
The main goal of any college or university should be to offer the highest degree of intellectual inquiry and debate. But only part of that caliber of learning comes from the faculty. The higher-ups who hire and give tenure to professors don't completely control the quality and degree of diversity you will encounter on College Hill. We, the students, are just as responsible for creating that secure environment where students can freely express their opinions. Indeed, it is our job. It is why we are here.
Joshua Lerner '07 is a columnist for The Herald and an Opinions co-editor of the College Hill Independent.
