Tracking UNC’s School of Civic Life and Leadership

[BlooVooDoo]

What makes you think they've fucked it up?

It may not close for some time, but given they’ve managed to turn off the few serious academics inclined to agree with and support many of the program’s goals and theses, it’s unlikely to gain the critical mass of students needed to justify its existence.

Could be fun to see which fails first: UNC-SCiLL or The “University” of Austin.

 

[SnoopRob]

Well they have lost most of their staff

Replaced, not lost.

And replaced with true conservatives.

 

[SnoopRob]

It may not close for some time, but given they’ve managed to turn off the few serious academics inclined to agree with and support many of the program’s goals and theses, it’s unlikely to gain the critical mass of students needed to justify its existence.

Could be fun to see which fails first: UNC-SCiLL or The “University” of Austin.

That's an interesting perspective.

I don't think it was ever meant to be for "serious academics", it was designed to be a safe space for conservatives. And given its political benefactors, I don't know that it will every need to "justify" its existence in any real way other than existing and catering to conservatives.

 

[gtyellowjacket]

It's the timeline of the SCiLL itself...

There had been discussion of creating a "conservative center" at Carolina for a number of years, led by conservatives in NC (in the NCGA, on the UNC BoT, and those who help direct such efforts from behind the scenes). The consultants who were brought in to advise how to do this cautioned against calling it a "conservative center" and instead advised expressing that it "expanded" the ideological offerings of the university.

The creation of the school was achieved by passed motion by the BOT in an atypical manner in January 2023.

The initial interim Dean and faculty were announced in October 2023, all pulled from existing UNC faculty. These faculty had a fairly broad background, judged as a whole, and provided support for the idea that the school wasn't a "conservative center".

Jed Atkins was named as first full-time Dean of SCiLL in March 2024. Atkins is well-known and well-considered in conservative academic circles. After Atkins was named Dean, most of the initial faculty of SCiLL left the department over the next few months.

Under Atkins, 11 new faculty were named in August 2024. All have ties to conservative academic groups and are consistent with the known-but-denied mission of SCiLL to be a "conservative center".

The BoT, under the direction of the NCGA, were quite successful at creating a "conservative center" on campus, as was the design of SCiLL. Their initial appointments of those who weren't aligned with the actual mission was nothing more than PR whitewashing of the purpose of the center and was remedied quickly once permanent faculty were hired.

Broad background is a bit of a stretch. Most were at least somewhat conservative or centerist. Here's a telling quote from one of the initial professors that resigned:

[Professor Jon Williams] accused Atkins of “hiding behind accusations that wokeness has derailed your efforts,” something Williams called “absolutely ridiculous given that you completely lost the support of folks like myself that have spent a decade battling it on campus.”

“It’s your failure alone,” Williams wrote. “Time to own it.”

 

[gtyellowjacket]

well, that settles it! he surveyed the class and by jove, their friends/family aren't racist/sexist!!!!!

I think you missed the point. He's illustrating that many people feel that the only reason most people would vote for Trump is racism or misogyny or whatever else they might have heard on social media, but if you take a step back and look at your own experiences, that doesn't seem to be the case.

And you can see that on the site. There are several folks that fervently believe that the only reason someone would vote for Trump is that they are... But Trump got a lot of votes. Are half the people you know racist or misogynistic or whatever?

 

[donbosco]

Almost all the people that I know are racist and most of the men are misogynistic. I am both myself. The trumpers however don’t fight those prejudices but rather surrender to them.

 

[BlooVooDoo]

That's an interesting perspective.

I don't think it was ever meant to be for "serious academics", it was designed to be a safe space for conservatives. And given its political benefactors, I don't know that it will every need to "justify" its existence in any real way other than existing and catering to conservatives.

I mean, you’re right, but that wasn’t in the sales pitch.

 

[SnoopRob]

Broad background is a bit of a stretch. Most were at least somewhat conservative or centerist. Here's a telling quote from one of the initial professors that resigned:

[Professor Jon Williams] accused Atkins of “hiding behind accusations that wokeness has derailed your efforts,” something Williams called “absolutely ridiculous given that you completely lost the support of folks like myself that have spent a decade battling it on campus.”

“It’s your failure alone,” Williams wrote. “Time to own it.”

In this case, "broad" meant conservative to centrist, they weren't going to put actual liberal faculty in this school. The early hires were certainly more broad than the ones from August, which is where SCiLL was always destined to end up.

 

[SnoopRob]

I mean, you’re right, but that wasn’t in the sales pitch.

Sales pitch to whom?

I mean, the facade that it's a serious academic center is crucial to its existence, but we all know that acceptance of unreality is a central principle of conservative thought and being these days.

Most everyone else will pretend that it's a serious academic center, either because they benefit from doing so (conservatives) or they'll be punished if they don't (the majority of others around the University who don't have tenure). Yet everyone knows that it's nothing more than "affirmative action" for conservatives, in the most pejorative usage of that term.

 

[heelinhell]

I watched a report on Chris Hayes show last night detailing the Trump administration's extortion of Columbia University..."great little college you have here...would hate to see something happen to it"

I wonder when they will come hard after UNC ? This shadow curriculum is the proverbial camel's nose under the tent.

 

[mpaer]

I watched a report on Chris Hayes show last night detailing the Trump administration's extortion of Columbia University..."great little college you have here...would hate to see something happen to it"

I wonder when they will come hard after UNC ? This shadow curriculum is the proverbial camel's nose under the tent.

Hopefully since our Chancellor, BOT,BOG etc are all trumpsters-that should help

 

[BlooVooDoo]

I watched a report on Chris Hayes show last night detailing the Trump administration's extortion of Columbia University..."great little college you have here...would hate to see something happen to it"

I wonder when they will come hard after UNC ? This shadow curriculum is the proverbial camel's nose under the tent.

I think it will be limited to the elite private schools. They’re a prime target because the wealthy feel entitled to them and they’re not very popular with the masses so beating up on them has little risk.

Wrangling the public schools would most likely be done through state legislatures. That’s already happening to an extent.

 

[donbosco]

Hopefully since our Chancellor, BOT,BOG etc are all trumpsters-that should help

System administrators will acquiesce -- already happening. More specifically, Carolina is in steep decline and dragging the rest along with it.

 

[donbosco]

I talked with someone at another System Campus yesterday. They are involved in some of the current curriculum "adjustments" and mandates. They came to their campus in NC from a state school in Florida. They see a "Floridization" afoot and not far off.

 

[Zoo_View]

I watched a report on Chris Hayes show last night detailing the Trump administration's extortion of Columbia University..."great little college you have here...would hate to see something happen to it"

I wonder when they will come hard after UNC ? This shadow curriculum is the proverbial camel's nose under the tent.

The right-wing has already come hard after UNC.

They’ve taken over the University AND the UNC System.

The camel’s nose isn’t under the edge of the tent. The camel is crapping INSIDE the tent.

 

[donbosco]

I watched a report on Chris Hayes show last night detailing the Trump administration's extortion of Columbia University..."great little college you have here...would hate to see something happen to it"

I wonder when they will come hard after UNC ? This shadow curriculum is the proverbial camel's nose under the tent.

It was Alex Wagner I think.

 

[heelinhell]

It was Alex Wagner I think.

Yep

 

[heelinhell]

The right-wing has already come hard after UNC.

They’ve taken over the University AND the UNC System.

The camel’s nose isn’t under the edge of the tent. The camel is crapping INSIDE the tent.

 

[donbosco]

Yep

Chair of BOT there just became interim Prez.

 

[heelinhell]

Chair of BOT there just became interim Prez.

My fear is that my alma mater is at risk to slide into ncst mediocrity in the next few years... which may be the intent of this state legislature enabled by the current Trump administration's attack on academia.