Univ. of Chicago tells new students not to expect safe spaces or trigger warnings.

University of Chicago class of 2020, get ready for a college experience filled with debate, discussion — and possibly discomfort.

As colleges across the country wrestle with balancing academic freedom and open discourse with student health and safety, University of Chicago Dean of Students John Ellison told incoming freshmen in a letter what they should expect on campus.

"Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called 'trigger warnings,' we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual 'safe spaces' where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own," the letter said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-university-of-chicago-safe-spaces-letter-met-20160825-story.html

Turtleneck, I need a safe space from you. You're hideous.

tGreenWay wrote:

I tend to agree. When it comes to safe spaces, I am not opposed to students having a space to talk and exchange ideas with members of their peer group. But to blanket an entire campus in the concept - to make it where students are shielded from ideas that challenge how they think - not only runs counter to ideas about freedom but the ideas behind higher education in general.

Turtleneck wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:

I tend to agree. When it comes to safe spaces, I am not opposed to students having a space to talk and exchange ideas with members of their peer group. But to blanket an entire campus in the concept - to make it where students are shielded from ideas that challenge how they think - not only runs counter to ideas about freedom but the ideas behind higher education in general.

At first glance I thought this related directly to the gun violence and I was like, "LOL, No shit!"

Parsing the University of Chicago Letter
http://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2016/08/the-university-of-chicago-letter-what-is-a-trigger-warning-anyway/498170/

meh. teaching kids decency will teach them to be dignified in their disagreements, negating the need for "safe spaces". It's a societal problem, not a university problem. You can't hide from ugliness. Trigger warnings are different. We had them in high school for christ's sake. Kids were allowed to not participate in sex ed if the subject matter made them uncomfortable. And that was over 20 years ago. Giving people a heads up that certain things will be discussed and if they don't want to be exposed to those discussions, there are options, is fine. I mean, I hope those people don't expect to be leaders or anything, because you have to have an ability to compartmentalize to be high functioning in society... but whatever floats your boat I guess.

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) - California State University, Los Angeles started offering segregated housing for black students in a new program called Halisi Scholars.

CBS Los Angeles reported the campus set aside 20 spots in its 192-unit dorm complex for black students and “anyone who shares similar concerns.”

The dorm comes after the university’s Black Student Union issued a list of demands as a response to claims of racial discrimination on campus.

http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/cal-state-university-offers-black-only-housing/315149978

would be interesting to hear people’s thoughts on this now considering how everything has shaken out.