… many instances of professors offering credit to students who do political or social work for them. Like – their husband’s running for congress, and you get three credits if you knock on doors for him… or everyone should be a blood donor, so if you prove you’ve recently given, you get a higher grade… and everyone should vote, so if you prove you voted, you get…
The latest instance of this involves a guy at the University of Massachusetts giving out independent study credit if you work for the Obama campaign. UD’s an enthusiastic Obama supporter, but really.
And the fool wrote it all out in an email to students.
University of Massachusetts officials yesterday quashed efforts by an Amherst campus chaplain to offer two college credits to any student willing to campaign in New Hampshire this fall for Democrat Barack Obama.
Chaplain Ken Higgins told students in a Sept. 18 e-mail, “If you’re scared about the prospects for this election, you’re not alone. The most important way to make a difference in the outcome is to activate yourself. It would be just fine with McCain if Obama supporters just think about helping, then sleep in and stay home between now and Election Day.”
Higgins added that an unnamed “sponsor” in the university’s History Department would offer a two-credit independent study for students willing to canvass or volunteer on behalf of the Democratic nominee.
“It is relatively (easy) to do late add-ons,” Higgins wrote.
But university officials disavowed themselves of the effort after inquiries yesterday by the Associated Press. They said it could run afoul of state ethics laws banning on-the-job political activity, as well as university policy.
“There is no independent study for credit in the History Department that involves partisan political work, and no such activity has ever been approved,” said a statement issued by UMass-Amherst spokesman Ed Blaguszewski.
Higgins refused to identify the History Department sponsor and referred all further questions to university officials…
September 23rd, 2008 at 2:22PM
The most important way to make a difference in the outcome is to activate yourself.
ick.
Hm. Actually there’s something almost sublime about the tin-earedness of this. I think next time I hear someone suggest that the U.S. is teetering on the brink of fascism I’ll tell them to "Go activate yourself."
September 23rd, 2008 at 2:55PM
"Disavowed themselves"? Ick.
September 23rd, 2008 at 3:46PM
Peter W, RJO: Yes. Both icks.
Activate yourself is beyond redemption; instead of disavowed themselves of, maybe distanced themselves from…
September 24th, 2008 at 6:16PM
[...] University Diaries describes herself as an “enthusiastic Obama supporter” and still thinks it was a stupid idea. [...]