Academia has often been mistrusted by Americans, even as
they support the need for a college degree for their children. They are
suspicious of college professors, the views they hold and the influence they
appear to have in culture.
Yet academia has its own issues. The requirements for active
research and publishing often trump the expectations for excellence in
teaching. Teaching can be left to adjuncts (often competent) and graduate
students while research can be narrow in scope and audience.
Academia has also suffered the intrusion of education which
is essentially career training, leaving the education of the whole human being
lacking. In addition, the outsized emphasis on sports programs, sports revenue
and sports infrastructure has taken a toll.
Still, the reality is that anyone can have an opinion and
never have to back it up. But those in academia must put their ideas before
their peers, be open to criticism of them and give them public access.
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