Heterodox Out Loud

The Role of Universities in the Age of Campus Activism with Amna Khalid | Ep 20

Sep 5, 2024

Amna Khalid, an esteemed Associate Professor of History at Carleton College and a prominent voice within the Heterodox Academy, discusses the shifting role of universities. She tackles the dual mission of higher education: truth-seeking versus citizenship training. Khalid raises concerns about self-censorship among students and critiques the current DEI initiatives that prioritize comfort over academic rigor. The conversation explores the impact of neoliberalism on campus culture and advocates for a balanced approach to academic freedom and diverse perspectives.

01:13:57

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Amna Khalid

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Quick takeaways

Universities must balance their dual mission of fostering critical inquiry while also training engaged citizens to address societal issues.

Campus activism is essential for civic engagement, teaching students to articulate their beliefs within a democratic framework despite potential political polarization.

The preservation of academic freedom is crucial for robust scholarly inquiry, requiring reforms to arise from within universities rather than through external political pressures.

Deep dives

University Engagement with Civic Issues

The discussion centers on the role universities play in civic engagement, particularly regarding Palestinian rights. The trend of silencing pro-Palestinian voices among academics is highlighted, exemplified by a recent incident at the University of Minnesota, where a job offer to an Israeli scholar critical of the Israeli government was rescinded. This raises fundamental questions about whether universities should focus solely on abstract truth or also engage in social issues. The conversation emphasizes the need for universities to strike a balance, fulfilling their mission as both spaces of learning and places for civic participation.

Intro

2min

From Pakistan to Academia: A Serendipitous Journey

5min

Rethinking University Missions

8min

Censorship and Comfort in Academia

15min

Navigating Activism and Academia

6min

Balancing Activism and Academia

21min

Legislative Interference in Academia

12min

Exploring the Dynamics of Academic Freedom and Legislative Reforms in Higher Education

4min

What is the real purpose of a university—truth-seeking or molding active citizens? Are university campuses becoming echo chambers, leading to self-censorship among not just conservatives but liberals too?

Today's guest is Amna Khalid, an esteemed Associate Professor of History at Carleton College and a prominent voice within the Heterodox Academy (HxA) community. Together, John Tomasi and Amna explore this multifaceted question. They discuss the evolving role of universities, the interplay of critical inquiry and citizenship, and the impact of neoliberal trends on campus culture.

Amna brings a wealth of experience and academic insight. She shares her perspectives on the necessity of preserving higher education's autonomy while addressing present-day challenges, such as campus speech restrictions and the contentious implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

In This Episode:

The dual mission of universities: critical inquiry and citizenship
Campus speech restrictions and the self-censorship challenge
The impact of neoliberalism on diversity initiatives in higher education
Student entitlement and the consumerist mindset in academia
The essential role of academic expertise in shaping educational experiences
Legislative interference and academic freedom
The need for balanced, viewpoint-neutral reforms in higher education
Case examples highlighting challenges faced by faculty and institutions

Follow Amna on X here: https://x.com/AmnaUncensored

About Amna:

Amna Khalid is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. She specializes in modern South Asian history, the history of medicine and the global history of free expression. Amna is the author of multiple book chapters on the history of public health in nineteenth-century India, with an emphasis on the connections between Hindu pilgrimages and the spread of epidemics. Born in Pakistan, Amna completed her Bachelor's Degree at Lahore University of Management Sciences. She went on to earn an M.Phil. in Development Studies and a D.Phil. in History from Oxford University. Growing up under a series of military dictatorships, Amna has a strong interest in issues relating to censorship and free expression. She speaks frequently on academic freedom, free speech and campus politics at colleges and universities as well as at professional conferences. Her essays and commentaries on these same issues have appeared in outlets such as the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Conversation, Inside Higher Ed and the New Republic. She hosts a podcast and accompanying blog called "Banished," which explores censorship in the past and present. Amna was a Fellow at the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement during the 2022-2023 academic-year, along with her Carleton colleague Jeff Snyder. They focused on threats to academic freedom in Florida, the state at the epicenter of the conservative movement to encourage state intervention in public school classrooms. Based on interviews Khalid and Snyder conducted with Florida faculty members, they submitted an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs who are challenging the Stop WOKE Act.

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