Honest question re BYU's course

[SeattleUte]

"Stanford, Cal-Berkeley and one or two others would absolutely have a heart attack if BYU was admitted into the Pac-10,"

http://www.sltrib.com/utahutes/ci_14377991

Does input like this give any of you BYU alumni the thought that BYU should change? Does it cause you to reflect that maybe BYU is wrong and the rest of the academic community is right?

[Indy Coug]

http://www.sltrib.com/utahutes/ci_14377991

Does input like this give any of you BYU alumni the thought that BYU should change? Does it cause you to reflect that maybe BYU is wrong and the rest of the academic community is right?

No.

[Surfah]

No.

[beelzebabette]

I read the thread title as "Leading question re BYU's course." Good to know my eyes aren't failing me yet.

[byu71]

http://www.sltrib.com/utahutes/ci_14377991

Does input like this give any of you BYU alumni the thought that BYU should change? Does it cause you to reflect that maybe BYU is wrong and the rest of the academic community is right?

I truly wish BYU would change some things. I have talked about them on boards for years. However, I don't really hold Stanford or Berkley in such high regard that I would even consider changing because it is something they might want.

Changing what I would want, that is another story.

[LiveCoug]

That makes me think that Stanford and Cal need to change their line of thinking.

[WashingtonCoug]

I take it as BYU must be doing something right.

[LiveCoug]

This quote here (from same article) makes me think even more that Stanford and Cal need to change their thinking:

"It became very clear [in discussions with the Pac-10] that what we were dealing with was good old-fashioned religious discrimination that was masquerading as academic snobbery,"

[UtahDan]

I don't imagine it does SU, but I do think the people should be realistic that BYU is something qualitatively different than every school in the Pac 10 or even in the MWC. I'm not saying it isn't a university, but I am saying that it is not a university in the sense that almost every other Division I school is. It is a parochial school, or a church school if people like that term better.

That isn't as different as, say, a beauty academy, but it is still a very different thing. What if the Green party were to open a university, employ primarily party members, make students and and faculty alike agree that they would follow the party platform in their lives (including not openly opposing it) and then offer a curriculum similar to other schools except that party indoctrination classes are required for graduation. Also, the school doesn't have academic freedom and will not permit the teaching of ideas that are critical of the Green party platform.

Would it then be bigotry or wrong in any sense for a conference to say "you are just too different from us, you are not a school in the same sense we are, no thanks." I'm not trying to deny that a conference like the Pac 10 is going to have political motivation for saying no, but I don't think is has to to have a sufficient basis to say "one of these things in not like the other" so to speak.

[jay santos]

BYU's an undergrad institution. 99% of course content is what you'd find at a Pac 10 institution. The other 1% is the stuff ignored by BYU or that is taught in a different way, i.e. religious history, social issues to do with feminism or gays, theater or literature that could be deemed pornographic, etc. That 1% never affected me as a student and probably won't affect my kids who might attend in the future. It might get others excited, though, like yourself.

[byu71]

This quote here (from same article) makes me think even more that Stanford and Cal need to change their thinking:

"It became very clear [in discussions with the Pac-10] that what we were dealing with was good old-fashioned religious discrimination that was masquerading as academic snobbery,"

"Snobbery", isn't that really the PAC10 culture?

Culturally, BYU would fit in nicely. I mentioned I was going to the take my own poll in the office. Informal questions to about 15 professionals, 6-7 professional staff. 3 BYU fans, 8 Ute fans, the rest really not into the rivalry.

When I asked what they thought of BYU not getting into the PAC10 because of academics, I got the "that's bull crap" or "who cares" responses.
Interestingly enough though, after the "that's bull crap answer", several indicated "they're (BYU) not getting in because they are arrogrant dicks down there and no one likes associating with them."

Not a surprising response fromt the LDS Ute fan, but somewhat surprising from the BSU, Idaho St. and Michigan grads.

[Solon]

"Snobbery", isn't that really the PAC10 culture?

Culturally, BYU would fit in nicely. I mentioned I was going to the take my own poll in the office. Informal questions to about 15 professionals, 6-7 professional staff. 3 BYU fans, 8 Ute fans, the rest really not into the rivalry.

When I asked what they thought of BYU not getting into the PAC10 because of academics, I got the "that's bull crap" or "who cares" responses.
Interestingly enough though, after the "that's bull crap answer", several indicated "they're (BYU) not getting in because they are arrogrant dicks down there and no one likes associating with them."

Not a surprising response fromt the LDS Ute fan, but somewhat surprising from the BSU, Idaho St. and Michigan grads.

Everybody's a victim, I guess.

The byu is a different kind of school, to be sure - but there are religious schools in major conferences. I think that the byu is more fundamentalist than most educated mormons are comfortable with admitting.

[UtahDan]

Everybody's a victim, I guess.

The byu is a different kind of school, to be sure - but there are religious schools in major conferences. I think that the byu is more fundamentalist than most educated mormons are comfortable with admitting.

In the same sense as BYU?

[wuapinmon]

Everybody's a victim, I guess.

The byu is a different kind of school, to be sure - but there are religious schools in major conferences. I think that the byu is more fundamentalist than most educated mormons are comfortable with admitting.

Not my humanities professors. They're all leashed by the rules, but reading between the lines, the double-entendres, the majority of the ones I dealt with were not Pharisees.

[Solon]

Not my humanities professors. They're all leashed by the rules, but reading between the lines, the double-entendres, the majority of the ones I dealt with were not Pharisees.

Sorry, I meant the byu as an institution. The double-entendres and subtle suggestions are exactly my point. Academic freedom is a real issue in the humanities at the byu.