The Observer, November 30, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 12
Outside the Circle
Brigham Young criticized for rhino hunt
Brigham Young University is facing criticism after asking a benefactor to obtain a permit in South Africa to shoot a rare white rhinoceros. The university wanted the skin of the rhino to be displayed in the natural history museum, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The Humane Society of the United States has commented that while such hunts were common methods to obtain such exhibits a century ago, the practice has long been considered outdated by most institutions.
The benefactor defended the hunt, noting that the fee he paid to hunt the rhino actually supports conservation efforts for the species. The natural history museum plans to use similar techniques in obtaining a black rhino, a hippo, and a giraffe.
An editorial in the Tribune condemned the museum, arguing that there are other ways to educate the public without killing.
"The thrill kill also puts BYU, which claims on its Web site that the collections are used to 'celebrate the role of Jesus Christ as Creator,' in a bit of an ethical bind," the editorial says. "If the private university wants stuffed animals in its museum, it should display Teddy bears."
More doctors of philosophy (and science)
The number of doctoral degrees awarded by American universities climbed by 5 percent in 2006, to a record-high number of 45,596, according to a report recently released by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Almost all of the overall increase (1865 of the 2211 more doctorates awarded in 2006 than 2005) were in the engineering and science fields.
But 1521 more doctorates were awarded in 2006 to non-U.S. citizens, more than two-thirds of all the new Ph.D.s awarded. Foreign -born researchers comprised nearly 35 percent of all Ph.D.s awarded in 2006 and nearly 43 percent of the Ph.D.s awarded in the scientific and engineering fields.
The data comes from the Survey of Earned Doctorates, an annual study sponsored by six federal agencies: the U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Institutes of Health, and the NSF.
The NSF data focus on Ph.D. production in the sciences and provide much less detail about non-science fields. The data of these fields will be released with the full release of the Survey of Earned Doctorates next year.
The increase in Ph.D. production in the sciences is largely due to the growth in the biological sciences, chemistry, computer sciences, and electrical engineering. Each of these fields experienced a growth of at least 200 doctorates.
Universities also awarded roughly 3.5 percent more Ph.D.s in the humanities in 2006 than in 2005, about 6.8 percent more in the health fields, and about 6.4 percent more in professional or other fields. The number of doctorates in the education field declined since last year.
Speech hits a sore spot at Dartmouth
In a speech given last month and posted recently on the Internet, a Dartmouth College trustee slammed a former college president, claimed that many academics don't believe in God, and evoked the Spanish Inquisition in a comment about Larry Summers, the former Harvard president.
Todd J. Zywicki, a law professor at George Mason University, was the offending trustee at an address at a John William Pope Center for Higher Education conference. Zywicki says he regretted phrasing some of his comments in such a harsh way, but adds that many of his comments were taken out of context.
Much of the address is a call to arms for those who think academe is infused with leaders who preach the dogma of "environmentalism and feminism."
Zywicki says the "establishment" at elite colleges is "vicious" and that "if it were the case that there was no morality and no values being taught in the academy, that would be better than what we have."
"Those who control the university today, they don't believe in God and they don't believe in country," he continues. "The university is their cathedrals…their entire being. Both those who fund it and those who teach within it are tied up in the university."
On commenting about national campus culture, Zywicki told the audience, "We have the Spanish Inquisition, and you can ask Larry Summers whether or not the Spanish Inquisition lives on academic campuses today."
Expansion disputes
City College of San Francisco has been sued by residents of Chinatown who hope to block the construction of a new college building in their neighborhood The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Officials at the college have stated that the new facility is essential to efforts to serve students in the area.
In California's Riverside County, residents are hoping that a recent court ruling will block expansion plans by the Mt. San Jacinto Community College District, The Press-Enterprise reported. And in New York City, Columbia University's expansion plans were approved from a key city panel, though the plans were modified slightly. However, more reviews and lawsuits are expected, The New York Times reported.
