Afternoon Update: Citadels of Neoliberalism or Bastions of Wokism? (Opinion)

Professors' right to mistreat students; García Peña gets tenured post at Princeton; biologist allegedly threatened Chico State colleagues; and more. ADVERTISEMENT [Afternoon Update Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now read The Chronicle on [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. THE REVIEW | ESSAY [Citadels of Neoliberalism or Bastions of Wokism?]( By David A. Bell [STORY IMAGE]( What elite higher ed’s critics on both the left and the right get wrong. ADVERTISEMENT THE REVIEW | OPINION [Do Professors Have a Right to Mistreat Students?]( By Andrew Koppelman [STORY IMAGE]( Conservative courts are establishing a dangerous new precedent to discriminate and abuse. ADVICE [A Winter Break Reading List on Skills for Scholars]( By James M. Lang [STORY IMAGE]( Looking for a quick read between semesters and a little career boost? Here are some book recommendations. MOVERS [Princeton Appoints Lorgia García Peña to Tenured Professorship]( Harvard [drew sharp criticism]( in 2019 after it [denied tenure]( to García Peña, an acclaimed scholar of race, colonialism, and Afro-Latinx studies, with the critics saying the move showed that ethnic studies [was not valued](. (Princeton statement, The Chronicle) FACULTY [Professor Disciplined for Relationship Allegedly Threatened Colleagues Who Complained]( A prominent biology professor at California State University at Chico allegedly spoke of killing two female colleagues who cooperated in a 2020 investigation that found he had conducted a prohibited sexual relationship with a graduate student he supervised, according to state court and newly released university records. The professor denied the accusation and said the relationship was consensual; Chico State punished him lightly. (EdSource) STUDENTS [U. of Idaho Settles Students’ Free-Speech Lawsuit]( The university will pay $90,000 to a Christian law students’ organization whose members said their freedom of speech had been violated when Idaho issued no-contact orders against them. The orders stemmed from another student’s complaint that she felt harassed by the members, who had expressed negative views of her sexuality in person. (Associated Press) IDENTITIES [Stanford’s Impostor Syndrome: Another Man Is Caught Posing as a Student]( Enrique Ruiz-Sanchez denied that he had pretended to be a student. The episode came months after the university [acknowledged mistakes]( in the case of William Curry, who lived on the campus for a year despite being repeatedly removed from dorms. (The Stanford Daily) STUDENT AID [Community-College Official Is Sentenced to 63 Months for Stealing Student-Aid Funds]( [Kiesha L. Pope]( director of financial aid from 2006 to 2017 at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, in Virginia, manufactured or expanded aid eligibility for people, often her family members, who were not in fact eligible. The aid recipients handed over to her the funds, which she spent on vacations and shopping, among other things. (U.S. Justice and Education Departments) HONORS [College Rescinds Honorary Doctorate Awarded in 2015 to Kanye West]( The School of the Art Institute of Chicago revoked the degree amid fallout from his latest [offensive remarks](. In a [statement]( the college condemned the comments by the musician, now known as Ye, calling them “anti-Black, antisemitic, racist, and dangerous.” (CNN) EVENTS [Browse Upcoming and On-Demand Virtual Events]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join a discussion with national experts and leading practitioners on how to navigate an uncertain future and what new ideas your institution can pursue. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. SPONSOR CONTENT | University of Birmingham [Thinking critically about Big Data]( ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Reimagining the Student Experience - The Chronicle Store]( [Reimagining the Student Experience]( Many colleges are intentionally rethinking and reshaping what has broadly become known as the student experience. [Order your copy today]( to explore the many forces affecting the student experience with the goal of making students’ time on campus more engaging. NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2022 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037