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WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

A New School for Free Expression

WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

The Wall Street Journal

News, Society & Culture

4.22.8K Ratings

🗓️ 14 February 2023

⏱️ 22 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

After announcing a plan to create the School of Civic Life and Leadership--dedicated to free inquiry--the University of North Carolina faces a threat to its accreditation. Plus, Joe Biden used his State of the Union to take on so-called "junk fees," but the regulatory assault could be more harmful to consumers than he expects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

ADP uses data-driven insights to design HR solutions to help businesses of all sizes think beyond today,

0:07.0

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0:09.0

ADP, always designing for HR, talent, time, payroll, people.

0:19.0

From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch.

0:25.0

The University of North Carolina's Board of Trustees votes unanimously to create a new school committed to free expression and higher education,

0:33.0

yet both the UNC faculty and the schools of creditor have a meltdown.

0:38.0

Plus, President Biden is from the federal government, and he is here to help you by cracking down on junk fees in the economy.

0:45.0

Should you want him to, we'll tell you some reasons why you may not.

0:48.0

Welcome to Potomac Watch, I'm Kim Strassel, and I am joined today by my two fabulous colleagues, Colin Levy, and Alicia Finley.

0:55.0

So let's start with this fascinating fight at UNC.

0:58.0

In late January, that university, which by the way was the first public university in the nation,

1:02.0

it's Board of Trustees voted 120 to create a school of civic life and leadership.

1:07.0

This is going to be a discrete school, it's going to have its own dean, it's going to hire professors to teach in departments ranging from history to philosophy to religion,

1:15.0

students will be able to take courses through it to fulfill their core university requirements or not if they don't want to.

1:21.0

And what's really interesting to me is that it's designed to buck ideological conformity.

1:26.0

His goal is to get professors from across the spectrum.

1:29.0

So, let's in fact, listen for a second to UNC Trustee David Bolett talking about that mission.

1:34.0

There's no litmus test for the hiring of professors, but clearly a curriculum with the engagement of diverse viewpoints,

1:43.0

I think would attract a wide variety of professors, liberal, conservative, centrist, those who can engage students.

1:52.0

So Colin, you've been following this, this sounds to me nothing short of exciting and brilliant.

1:57.0

And yet this boat has caused a huge backlash among the faculty.

2:01.0

Tell us a little bit about what they are angry about and who is saying what and why.

...

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