Friday, February 22, 2008

Corporate Dumbing Down in Colorado

20080221_124105_cd21benson_cover Sadly, the University of Colorado has just made an unspeakable mistake in appointing a highly partisan global warming denying oil executive Bruce Benson as president of the university.  Benson has no real qualifications for the position.  He’s less educated than 99% of the college presidents in America -- Benson only has a BA and no previous experience with higher education -- and has a track record of attacking the very foundations of higher education, tenure and academic freedom.

Most of his "qualifications" appear to arise from three things: being an executive, successful fundraiser for right wing causes, and name recognition from a failed effort to become governor in Colorado.

Benson's allies are on the far right.  He is aligned with the ACTA which is involved in efforts to help CEOs and Business leaders become high placed academic administrators. He was a co-founder of the Trailhead group whose sole purpose appears to be attacking Democrats and Progressive political candidates.  His friends and associates include the likes of David Horowitz and Pete Coors. 

His ultimate goal seems pretty clearly to replace critical thinking in education with training from a corporate point of view.

Fits in perfectly with a BushCheneyMcCheat world, doesn't it?

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