Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Book lists two U. Michigan profs among 101 most dangerous academics
By Kelly Fraser
Michigan Daily (U. Michigan)
04/03/2006

(U-WIRE) ANN ARBOR, Mich. — When University of Michigan biology professor John Vandermeer heard that right-wing activist and author David Horowitz had published a list of the 101 most dangerous professors in America, he said he grew upset. Vandermeer wasn't angry that Horowitz was attacking the academics, he was angry that he didn't make the list.

"I'm dangerous — or at least I try to be," Vandermeer joked.

While Vandermeer was overlooked, two University professors did gain Horowitz's recognition.

Because of their left-wing perspectives, history professor Juan Cole and anthropology professor Gayle Rubin each earned an entry in Horowitz's book, "The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America," published in February.

Horowitz labeled Cole as dangerous because he holds a controversial perspective on U.S. involvement in the Middle East and is frequently quoted in the national media. Cole, a prolific blogger, said he does not consider himself politically active.

"Anytime you become prominent you attract attention," Cole said. "Very frequently political opponents resort to political assassination and smears. I stick to making arguments deliberately in hopes of fostering more dialogue."

Horowitz also slams Rubin, who was the University's first women's studies major, for her stances on gender and sexuality.

Horowitz claims that Rubin once openly endorsed pedophilia in a 2003 magazine piece and that she believes there are no natural differences between men and women.

Rubin could not be reached for comment because she is currently on sabbatical.

Professors dismissed the book as an attempt to stir up fear of liberal academics and damage their credentials in the eyes of the general public; few feel the book carries much weight.

"I think it's pretty silly. Silly is the right word," Vandermeer said.

Horowitz warns that the academics on the list, mostly composed of political science and religion professors, use the classroom to further their radical agendas.

Horowitz, a founder of the New Left movement in the 1960s, turned his back on liberal circles in the 1970s and now is the editor in chief of FrontPageMag.com, an online conservative newsmagazine.

On the point of the dangers of pushing politics in the classroom, Cole and Horowitz agree.

Cole said the claim that he is guilty of using the classroom as a soapbox is a "bald-faced lie."

To prove this, Cole pointed to his semester evaluation scores for his class "America and Middle Eastern Wars" last fall. Out of a possible 5 points, Cole earned a 4.82 in the category of "Overall this was an excellent course" and a 4.86 in "Overall the instructor was an excellent teacher."

If he teaches with a political agenda, it would be reflected in his scores, given that a large lecture is composed of a variety of students with a diverse range of political viewpoints, he said.

RC sophomore Luke Bostian, who took a course with Cole, said the professor was up-front about his views from the beginning.

According to Bostian, Cole encouraged students to challenge him. Bostian acknowledged that some conservative students may have been turned off or intimidated by Cole's authority.

Though Cole called the book "an irrelevant publicity stunt," he said it highlights an increasing trend in politics to monitor and intimidate intellectuals; he refers to this as "the privatization of McCarthyism."

Horowitz also said he is increasingly concerned with the overlapping relationship between the government and universities, which he reasons could lead to increased governmental control over the curriculum.

"The purpose of intellectuals is to constantly examine the grounds of our political existence," Cole said. "We have to be dangerous in that way. The Founding Fathers were dangerous. Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson — they were dangerous intellectuals."

Vandermeer said that he purposely chooses to address contemporary issues in his Biology 101 course to provoke students to place science in context.

"If by dangerous (Horowitz) means professors who tell the truth to their students, then yes, I'm dangerous," Vandermeer said.

In a poll on FrontPageMag.com asking students to vote for the "worst professors" in the United States, Cole and Rubin's combined votes place the University in fourth place overall behind Penn State University, Columbia University and Western Washington University.

Cole is ranked the fifth worst professor, only about 200 votes behind fourth-place Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Noam Chomsky.

Other Perilous Profs

Michael Eric Dyson
Humanities professor University of Pennsylvania
Included for his use of hip-hop in the classroom, hailing rapper Tupac Shakur as a black Jesus.

Gloria Watkins English professor City University of New York
Included for her feminist writings under the pseudonym "bell hooks" and free-structured classroom environment incorporating race and class.

Victor Navasky Journalism professor Columbia University
Included for his role as editorial director of left-wing journal "The Nation" and for defending Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs in an article.

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