FIRE THEM: UNC faculty threaten to NOT TEACH over ‘Silent Sam’ Plans

CHAPEL HILL – While it may be tempting to insure those infected with with the social justice virus are not teaching our college students at the University of North Carolina, a line must be drawn as to what actions are completely unacceptable while on the university’s payroll.

After UNC leaders unveiled a proposal to build a $5 million ‘education center’ to house the ‘Silent Sam’ Confederate statue that was torn down by a mob of snowflakes in August, many faculty and staff at UNC threatened to withhold final grades for their students until their demands regarding the statue were met. The UNC provost responded with clear warning that such ‘grade strikes’ violated the instructional guidelines of the university, federal law, and, most importantly, the students’ rights.

Undeterred, many UNC professors are now threatening to not teach at all for the first week of the spring semester. Here is an excerpt from what essentially amounts to a ransom letter:

“While we believe that faculty members and graduate students should make their own decisions about how to protest the Board of Trustees plan, we support both faculty and graduate student teaching assistants who choose not to grade final exams or assignments for the 2018 Fall semester to protest the University Board of Trustees’ plan. As educators, we contend that faculty and graduate teaching assistants who make that choice are fulfilling their contractual obligations to teach and support UNC students’ education and human development.

Specifically, we discourage and oppose any retaliatory actions the university or system office may take against those faculty and graduate student teaching assistants who decide to participate in this action.

Finally, we pledge to remain united in our resolve to build a more inclusive UNC campus that is a welcoming, vibrant learning environment for students from all North Carolina communities and around the world. If the Board of Governors advances a plan to locate Silent Sam anywhere on the UNC campus, we pledge not to teach during the first week of Spring classes, January 9, 2019-January 11, 2019. Instead, we plan to organize sessions across campus to listen and elevate student voices and to develop strategies to help UNC live up to its founding principles of “light and liberty.””

As the UNC officials already highlighted, withholding of final grades could seriously harm students with respect to scholarships, graduation, job offers, and military commissions. Not having to go to class the first week back from christmas probably won’t break any hearts among the students, but it still represents a protest that effects other people. Moreover, it represents a promise to not do their jobs unless their political agendas are catered to.

EVERY ONE OF THOSE PROFESSORS OR FACULTY THAT WITHHOLD GRADES OR REFUSE TO TEACH SHOULD BE FIRED FOR CAUSE.

There are, at least, some students with enough sense to call out the faculty for the harm they are doing in the name of Leftist dogma:

“Erin Staley, a senator at the UNC Undergraduate Senate, told Campus Reform that she does not agree with some faculty planning not to teach during the first week of the spring semester.

“It is not appropriate for members of faculty from the school of education to not teach for the first week of the spring semester due to personal opinions,” Staley said. “UNC, the University of North Carolina, should not be concerned with striking because of partisan opinions but rather focused upon teaching — the very purpose of the university. To deprive students of their education by choosing not to teach would be counteracting the very thing that those striking are advocating for.”

Staley also criticized the TAs and faculty participating in the grading strike, calling the open letter a “ridiculous façade of an excuse.”

“The grading strike only hurts the students that the TAs and faculty are claiming to help. By not turning in grades, many students could possibly lose scholarships or even experience a delay in graduating,” the Undergraduate Senator told Campus Reform. “The letter to parents is a facade used to promote personal beliefs on campus and doesn’t truly explain why parents are seeing their child’s educators failing to complete their basic duties.””

The UNC Board of Governors appeases the social justice crowd at their own peril. They will never be satisfied, and giving in to their ‘demands’ will encourage more of this nonsense. The hunk of metal should be dealt with according to the law, however painstakingly long it takes. Contrary to the Left’s postmodernist rhetoric, the statue will not be oppressing anyone in the meantime.

Should the ransomers follow through – FIRE THEM.