Last week, Crafton Hills College ultimately decided against attaching a “trigger warning” to one of its courses following a student and parent complaint.
Almost a month ago, The College Fix reported on the case of student Tara Shultz, whose grievances about several graphic novels led to her parents getting involved in the matter.
The school had agreed to add a “trigger” notice to the course in question, but not long after the National Coalition Against Censorship sent a letter to Crafton, the college reversed course.
A statement from President Cheryl Marshall said: “Upon further reflection, we have all agreed that including a disclaimer on any course syllabus is not a solution. It sets an unhealthy precedent by allowing any one person or group to decide on educational content. Furthermore, it discourages free expression of views and speech, which are essential components of academic freedom. College students must take responsibility for their learning. This includes making informed decisions about selecting courses in which to enroll and learning to accept differing points of view. We strive to equip our students with the critical thinking skills to reason through difficult issues that challenge their values and beliefs. I’m proud of our faculty for creating an open learning environment that supports freedom of inquiry and expression.”
Tara’s father Greg responded by saying “I will take whatever means necessary to counter family disruption in all of its forms.” Whatever that means.
Elsewhere, Columbia University recently noted that it will not be adding any “trigger warnings” to required course materials.
Julie Crawford, chairwoman of Columbia College’s literature humanities department, told New York Magazine that “At no point did [we] consider trigger warnings as being something that could be productively or intellectually mandated, or made structural.”
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