• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • About Current
    • Masthead
  • Podcasts
  • Support
  • Way of Improvement
  • About John
  • Vita
  • Books
  • Speaking
  • Media Requests

Critics of the University of Austin prove why such an institution may be necessary

John Fea   |  November 9, 2021

Yesterday I wrote about the University of Austin, a new university founded by intellectuals concerned with academic freedom in the larger academy. I am not familiar with all of the people behind this venture, but any initiative that includes Niall Ferguson, Arthur Brooks, Larry Summers, Gordon Gee, Deirdre McCloskey, Leon Kass, Jonathan Haidt, Glenn Loury, Wilfred McClay, and Andrew Sullivan deserves serious consideration. Though I do not always agree with these thinkers, they are all first-rate intellectuals.

I need a lot more convincing before I offer enthusiastic support for the University of Austin, but I do think that its founders have identified a legitimate problem in higher education. I have reflected a bit on this here and here.

Last night I scanned Twitter to see what people were saying about the University of Austin. Frankly, it was ugly. The critics believe that Trump-friendly conservatives are destroying American democracy, but some of the tweets I read last night failed miserably in demonstrating the kind of public discourse essential to the survival of democratic culture. I was looking at a mirror image of the Trumpian right.

Let’s be clear. The University of Austin is not another version of Trump University. It deserves a place on the larger landscape of higher education. Yet most of the tweeters on my feed last night and today seem more interested in name-calling or pointing out the foibles of a few folks affiliated with the venture than looking deeply at those aspects of the American academy that may have prompted the founding of this university in the first place. These critics lived-up to their reputation.

Here is what I am talking about:

At the University of Austin all the final grades are just skull measurements.

— Kashana (@kashanacauley) November 8, 2021

At the University of Austin no classes start before 1pm because they're so deathly afraid of being woke.

— Ben Railton (@AmericanStudier) November 8, 2021

University of Austin faculty search pic.twitter.com/cl91xiUHZC

— Gautham Rao (@gauthamrao) November 8, 2021

I'm pleased to announce that I've been named the Palantir Professor of Neoeugenics & Criminology at the University of Austin.

My first course will include dramatic readings of The Bell Curve, a guest lecture from Rudy Giuliani, and field trips to prisons to observe executions.

— Nils Gilman (@nils_gilman) November 8, 2021

I wrote about the Bible college for libertarians https://t.co/xwHuuGhrb6

— Sarah Jones (@onesarahjones) November 8, 2021

i want to be extremely clear: anyone even vaguely associated with this "University of Austin" thing should be mocked ceaslessly

— Matt Gabriele (@prof_gabriele) November 8, 2021

🎉🎉 Thrilled to announce that in the Fall I’ll be starting as the inaugural Joe Rogan Professor of Political Science Podcasting at the University of Austin 🎉🎉

— Connor Ewing (@ConnorMEwing) November 9, 2021

Can anyone clarify this for me? I'm assuming University of Austin will in fact not be a university or even a college? Like being accredited and having students? Some mix of Trump University and a comms operation?

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) November 8, 2021

University of Austin Archaeology Department Chair announced: pic.twitter.com/VaPNNRI36v

— Bill Farley, PhD in Mashed Potatoes (@ArchaeologyGame) November 8, 2021

So is the University of Austin going to meme-troll PragerU every year when they play the Ivermectin Bowl?

— QAaron Jefe (@ThatElJefe) November 8, 2021

Two of the pillars of University of Austin pictured below, along with at least one other friend of the founder. pic.twitter.com/nFckJ6nq6N

— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) November 9, 2021

Kicked out of University of Austin for asking about Redlining in my urban planning class taught by Adam Carolla

— Trenton Hassles Carmelo (@TrentonHassles) November 8, 2021

I decided to compete with the University of Austin. I’ll be offering the following online classes: necromancy, alien history, alchemy, modern geocentrism, moon landing and JFK conspiracy theories, subliminal advertising on a budget, and lizard people history. Like the U of T: pic.twitter.com/dFAqArCEP3

— Gabino Iglesias (@Gabino_Iglesias) November 8, 2021

Here at University of Austin Physics and Astronomy we take an anti-woke approach. That’s why our introductory physics students build catapults and literally fight each other. We may sustain injuries/deaths, but that’s what it means to be truly devoted to Truth.

— University of Austin Physics and Astronomy (@UATX_phys) November 9, 2021

OMG I GOT INTO THE UNIVERSITY OF AUSTIN???? 😭🎉🍾 I’M GOING TO BE A EUGENICIST

— Alex (@StoffelAlex) November 8, 2021

The University of Austin is a fictional college from the movie Road Trip. pic.twitter.com/HHNjMGiMxX

— Colt Smith (@FootballExpert) November 8, 2021

“I actually have a bachelor’s in Heterodox Thought from the University of Austin, a free-thinking university founded by Bari Weiss and Andrew Sullivan.” pic.twitter.com/brpNtYEeri

— Norm Charlatan (@normcharlatan) November 8, 2021

I just got tenure because I told them I was the guy that did Dilbert and they hired me without checking my sources and now if they threaten to take away my tenure I'm going to say they were stifling my freedom of speech and go on Joe Rogan.

— Nat *I Found a Tiny Radish Once* Prance (@natprance) November 8, 2021

Bari Weiss’s first lecture at the University of Austin pic.twitter.com/K8JtSFEwVm

— replying "@ArtDecider?" to woman's selfie (@alexqarbuckle) November 8, 2021

The president of the University of Austin pic.twitter.com/ztfWVZ6arh

— Bunkie Perkins (@BunkiePerkins) November 8, 2021

Aaron Rodgers, University of Austin. pic.twitter.com/gYqKZTRyyW

— profloumoore (@loumoore12) November 8, 2021

“With my B.A. in Anti-Wokeness Studies from the University of Austin, I feel confident in launching a Substack newsletter like my professors did”

— Matthew Sitman (@MatthewSitman) November 8, 2021

I think you get the idea. All of this piling-on makes me want to send a check to the University of Austin! 🙂

Here is some more commentary from various sources:

New York Times

Austin American-Statesman

Bloomberg

The New Republic

New York Magazine

National Review

Crains Chicago Business (on the University of Chicago connection)

With coverage like this, I am guessing that the founders of the University of Austin are absolutely thrilled with the rollout.

Filed Under: Way of Improvement Tagged With: academic freedom, academic life, higher education, University of Austin

Primary Sidebar

Patron Access

Way of Improvement blog banner

Commonplace Book #232

January 30, 2023 By John Fea

Why do Republicans call it the “Democrat Party”

January 30, 2023 By John Fea

When Congress got rid of a George Washington statue…in 1908

January 30, 2023 By John Fea

Episode 108: “The Life and Legacy of C. Vann Woodward”

January 30, 2023 By John Fea

Evangelical roundup for January 30, 2023

January 30, 2023 By John Fea

More Blog Posts

Subscribe via Email



Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

Footer

Contact Forms

General Inquiries
Pitch Us

Search

Subscribe via Email



Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
Subscribe via Email


Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide