University of Minnesota under FIRE
By Torleif Sorenson
Published Erica Shepard
In recent months the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) department at the University of Minnesota came under scrutiny after releasing plans to incorporate their Teacher Education Redesign Initiative (TERI), which directs the university’s teacher education program. As part of the initiative, this proposal would require teachers to “take a political litmus test to enforce an ideology centered on a narrow view of cultural competence,” according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).
The Race, Culture, Class and Gender Task Group (one of seven) at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, has proposed making ethnic and diversity issues the “overarching framework” of all teaching courses. Documents published by the U of M (http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cehd/teri), contain such directives as mandating certain beliefs and values—“dispositions”or future teachers.
The college is also looking to reinvent its admissions process which would screen out people with the “wrong” beliefs and values whose who either do not have sufficient “cultural competence” or those who the college judges believe will not be able to be converted to the “correct” beliefs and values even after remedial re-education.
After receiving an anonymous tip about the University’s plans, FIRE stepped in and sent a letter to University of Minnesota President Robert H. Bruiniks expressing their concern that the TERI proposal is in violation of a student’s or teacher’s constitutional right to think or believe however he or she wishes.
FIRE and other critics have expressed their concern and say that while, “cultural competence, in terms of what makes people unique,” is beneficial to all students and faculty, requiring said persons to subscribe to specific views or beliefs to acquire their degree as educators is not.
FIRE contends that, “These intentions violate the freedom of conscience of the University’s students. As a public university bound by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the University is both legally and morally obligated to uphold this fundamental right.”
On Dec. 21, 2009, the University of Minnesota’s Office of the General Counsel responded to FIRE’s concerns stating, “Neither the University or CEHD has adopted or implemented any new policies discussed in the TERI task force report,” (one of seven submitted) and that, “None of them have been adopted as CEHD policy, nor is there any commitment by CEHD to adopt ideas contained in the various reports.”
Mark Rotenberg, who wrote the response, goes on to clarify that these proposals are meant to “reflect the creative thinking of faculty to improve P-12 education and student achievement.” CEHD Dean Jean Quam sees these various task group ideas as faculty brainstorming on how to best redesign their program. These proposals are still under review and University of Minnesota spokesman Dan Wolters says, “In general, the college will focus discussion during spring term on the key elements of the program and will have components of the curriculum ready for review by the College Curriculum Council by late spring or at the beginning of next fall term.” The ultimate goal is to begin enrolling students in their revised education program by the fall term of 2011.
The Metropolitan will be watching this story and sharing updates as they become available.