University of Delaware: Students Required to Undergo Ideological Reeducation

Case Materials

• "Episode 113: Residence Life Program Proposal at the University of Delaware," May 12, 2008
• "University of Delaware Office of Residence Life Revised 2008-09 Program Plan," May 9, 2008
• "Faculty Senate postpones ResLife proposal decision, May 6, 2008," The UD Review, May 6, 2008
• "Open Letter to University of Delaware Faculty, May 5, 2008," May 5, 2008
• "UD Faculty, Students Stand Up Against Res Life Proposal," National Association of Scholars, May 2, 2008
• "Delaware Association of Scholars urges rejection of UD ResLife proposal," Press Release, May 1, 2008
• "Sustainability and Indoctrination in the New University of Delaware Plan," Adam Kissel, May 1, 2008
• "University of Delaware ResLife Proposal, 2008 - 2009," April 30, 2008
• "Students give input on new UD program," Rachel Kipp, The News Journal, April 15, 2008
• "Graduate Assistant for Diversity Initiatives Job Description, March 28, 2008," March 28, 2008
• "Student Life Committee of the Faculty Senate: Assessment on the Curricular Approach to Residence Life, February 22, 2008," February 22, 2008
• "'Discovery Wheel' Self-Evaluation Tool," February 19, 2008
• "Office of Residence Life Educational Priority Rationale and Related Issues Discussion; Sustainability and Diversity, February 18, 2008," February 18, 2008
• "FIRE Comes to University of Delaware on Monday," November 16, 2007: FIRE President Greg Lukianoff will be speaking at the University of Delaware on Monday, November 19, at 4:30 pm at 120 Smith Hall. He will address the badly misunderstood moral and First Amendment right to freedom of private conscience, the moral and legal issues posed by campus thought-control programs in general, and college students’ academic freedom to investigate contentious issues without the imposition of official campus orthodoxy. He will be available during and after the event for further discussion.
• "University of Delaware Whole New World Activities," November 16, 2007
• "Victory at University of Delaware," FIRE Press Release, November 2, 2007: After an intense campaign led by FIRE, the University of Delaware has dropped an ideological reeducation program that was referred to in the university’s own materials as a “treatment” for students’ incorrect attitudes and beliefs. The program’s stated goal was for the approximately 7,000 students in Delaware’s residence halls to adopt highly specific university-approved views on politics, race, sexuality, sociology, moral philosophy, and environmentalism. Following FIRE’s campaign, which called the attention of the national media and the blogosphere to the Orwellian program, university President Patrick Harker terminated the program, effective immediately.
• "University of Delaware Residence Life Escalation Procedures," November 2, 2007
• "Letter from Vice President for Student Life Michael Gilbert to FIRE, October 31, 2007," November 2, 2007
• "Example of Best and Worst One-on-One Sessions with University of Delaware RAs," November 2, 2007
• "Victory at University of Delaware," November 1, 2007: Late Thursday, University of Delaware President Patrick Harker released on the school’s website a Message to the University of Delaware Community terminating the university’s ideological reeducation program, which FIRE condemned as an exercise in thought reform. He stated, “I have directed that the program be stopped immediately. No further activities under the current framework will be conducted.” Harker also called for a “full and broad-based review” of the program’s practices and purposes. While concerns remain about the University of Delaware’s commitment to free expression, FIRE commends President Harker for his decision to immediately terminate the Orwellian residence life education program. FIRE will have more on this development tomorrow.
• "FIRE Response to Michael Gilbert, Vice President for Student Life, University of Delaware," November 1, 2007: FIRE is shocked and disappointed that the University of Delaware has chosen to defend its invasive and unconstitutional residence life education program. Rather than immediately renounce and dismantle what the university itself calls a “treatment” program for students living in its residence halls, the school has chosen instead to obfuscate, deny, and distort the program’s intention, its operation, and its effect. Vice President for Student Life Michael Gilbert raises several erroneous and misleading points in response to FIRE’s October 29 letter that demand an immediate answer. FIRE’s full response to Gilbert can be read here.
• "Office of Residence Life 2007-2008 Complex Curricula," November 1, 2007
• "University of Delaware Requires Students to Undergo Ideological Reeducation," FIRE Press Release, October 30, 2007: The University of Delaware subjects students in its residence halls to a shocking program of ideological reeducation that is referred to in the university’s own materials as a “treatment” for students’ incorrect attitudes and beliefs. The Orwellian program requires the approximately 7,000 students in Delaware’s residence halls to adopt highly specific university-approved views on issues ranging from politics to race, sexuality, sociology, moral philosophy, and environmentalism. FIRE is calling for the total dismantling of the program, which is a flagrant violation of students’ rights to freedom of conscience and freedom from compelled speech.
• "Excerpts from University of Delaware Office of Residence Life Diversity Facilitation Training," October 30, 2007
• "FIRE’s Letter to University President Patrick T. Harker, October 29, 2007," October 29, 2007
• "Office of Residence Life Diversity Facilitation Training," October 28, 2007
• "Office of Residence Life Presentation on Assessment of Student Learning," October 28, 2007
• "Residence Life Escalation Procedures, October 24, 2007," October 24, 2007
• "‘Beyond Seat Time and Student Satisfaction: A Curricular Approach to Residential Education’," November 30, 2006

Blog Entries

• "Partial Victory for Freedom of Conscience," Adam Kissel, May 13, 2008: The University of Delaware Faculty Senate has passed along to the Board of Trustees a proposal for educational programming in the residence halls. The proposal now states explicitly that almost all programming will be optional, and Vice President Michael Gilbert promised the Faculty Senate that there would be strict oversight of the program by faculty and senior administrators. Resident assistants will not be providing any of the education, which will be run only by full-time professional staff and faculty. With very little debate about the details of the plan, the upshot of the vote was that the Faculty Senate was sending a message to ResLife insisting that ResLife stick to the letter of what the proposal actually says. The Senate seemed to agree that ResLife officials should not abuse UD power to insert their personal political agendas into ResLife's educational programming.
• "University of Delaware ResLife Proposal Discussed in Latest Podcast," Erin Royce, May 12, 2008
• "University of Delaware ResLife on YouTube," Adam Kissel, May 9, 2008
• "More Delaware ResLife Materials Removed from Website," Adam Kissel, May 9, 2008
• "‘Progressive Democrat and Environmentalist’ Speaks Out Against Delaware Indoctrination," Adam Kissel, May 9, 2008
• "Delaware ResLife Fighting for Every Inch: Proposal Re-re-re-revised," Adam Kissel, May 9, 2008
• "Prediction by University of Delaware RA Comes to Pass," Adam Kissel, May 8, 2008
• "Victory for Freedom of Conscience at University of Delaware; More Debate Ahead," Adam Kissel, May 6, 2008
• "Open Letter to University of Delaware Faculty on ResLife Proposal," Adam Kissel, May 5, 2008
• "Delaware ResLife Hides Another Document," Adam Kissel, May 2, 2008
• "University of Delaware ResLife Misappropriates UD Environmental Sustainability Initiative for Social Activism," Adam Kissel, May 2, 2008
• "Delaware Association of Scholars Urges Rejection of UD ResLife Proposal," Adam Kissel, May 1, 2008
• "Sustainability All the Time: An Analysis of University of Delaware’s ResLife Proposal," Adam Kissel, May 1, 2008
• "University of Delaware Set to Restore Indoctrination Program," Adam Kissel, April 30, 2008
• "Delaware ResLife--Fourth Time the Charm?," Adam Kissel, April 15, 2008
• "University of Delaware Retreats on Oppressive Speech Code," Adam Kissel, April 14, 2008: The University of Delaware has revised a speech code that used to classify "any instance that is perceived by those involved as being racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, or otherwise oppressive" as an emergency equal to fire, suicide attempts, and alcohol overdose. Now, the code refers only to "significant bias related acts that have the potential to create a significant disturbance to the community" at the same emergency level. But the university also maintains that "those who engage in acts of hatred and bias-motivated threats and behavior will be confronted, prosecuted and expelled from our community." FIRE is pleased that University of Delaware has improved its code, but the university still has a long way to go to bring it in line with the Constitution.
• "FIRE Board of Advisors Member Blasts University of Delaware," Luke Sheahan, April 9, 2008
• "National Organizations Keep Hitting U. Delaware Indoctrination Program," Adam Kissel, March 28, 2008
• "Delaware News Journal Calls for Total Repudiation of University of Delaware’s Thought Reform Program," Greg Lukianoff, March 24, 2008
• "University of Delaware ResLife Controversy Continues," Adam Kissel, March 21, 2008
• "University of Delaware Faculty Condemns Old ResLife Program," Adam Kissel, March 19, 2008
• "FIRE Op-Ed in University of Delaware Student Paper," Erin Royce, March 18, 2008
• "ResLife Indoctrinators Attack FIRE at Closed Conference," Adam Kissel, March 4, 2008
• "University of Delaware Rejects New Residence Life Proposal," Adam Kissel, February 19, 2008
• "University of Delaware Sets Politicized Agenda for Resident Assistants," Adam Kissel, February 19, 2008
• "More Reflections on University of Delaware Indoctrination Program," Adam Kissel, January 31, 2008
• "More Thought Reform Documents from the University of Delaware," Adam Kissel, November 16, 2007
• "Delaware: Residence Life Fighting Back?," Adam Kissel, November 3, 2007
• "Comprehensive Media Coverage Essential to FIRE Victory at the University of Delaware," Luke Sheahan, November 2, 2007
• "Victory at University of Delaware," Robert Shibley, November 1, 2007
• "Delaware Starts Removing Materials from Web Site," Adam Kissel, November 1, 2007
• "FIRE Responds to Delaware’s Reply," Adam Kissel, November 1, 2007
• "Another Former Delaware RA Speaks Out," Robert Shibley, November 1, 2007
• "More Delaware Students and RAs Speak Out," Adam Kissel, November 1, 2007
• "The Delaware Approach: Coming Soon to a Campus Near You?," Samantha Harris, October 31, 2007
• "Delaware Association of Scholars Denounces University of Delaware Reeducation Program," Luke Sheahan, October 31, 2007
• "Is the University of Delaware Violating the Federal Law on Human Subject Research?," Kelly Sarabyn, October 31, 2007
• "Mike Adams on University of Delaware," Greg Lukianoff, October 31, 2007
• "Hello, Darkness, My Old Friend: Thought Reform Makes Another Appearance," Azhar Majeed, October 30, 2007
• "University of Delaware: Students Speak Out," Adam Kissel, October 30, 2007
• "Yes, Blue Hens, Your Reeducation Is Mandatory," Adam Kissel, October 30, 2007

Media Coverage

• "U. of Delaware approves new diversity discussions for students," Eric Hoover, The Chronicle of Higher Education, May 13, 2008
• "New UD residence life program passes Faculty Senate," Rachel Kipp, The News Journal, May 12, 2008
• "UD panel to decide on residence life program," Beth Miller, The News Journal, March 21, 2008
• "ResLife must reconsider its purpose," Adam Kissel, The Review, March 18, 2008
• "When diversity training goes awry," Jamal Watson, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, January 24, 2008
• "Thought reform, ideological coercion, and the state of the American university," Luke Sheahan, Family Security Matters, December 31, 2007
• "Four year plan," Richard B. Spencer, The American Conservative, December 3, 2007
• "Tarred with the same Big Brother brush," David Cohen, The Guardian, November 29, 2007
• "Liberal ‘racism’ is not about bringing people together," Doug MacEachern, The Arizona Republic, November 25, 2007
• "University of Delaware diversity program leaves Temple thinking," Cassandra Clair, The Temple News, November 20, 2007
• "Delaware U’s illiberal education," Sara Dogan, Front Page Magazine, November 20, 2007
• "University’s indoctrination rates as mind control," Doug MacEachern, The Arizona Republic, November 18, 2007
• "Teaching or tyranny? How U Del ResLife crossed the line," Ray Ho, Washington Square News, November 13, 2007
• "Counterpoint: diversity programs have value," Gomez Ernest, Daily Pennsylvanian, November 12, 2007
• "Point: scrap ‘diversity training’," Cassandra Tognoni, Daily Pennsylvanian, November 12, 2007
• "Thought control alive and well at University of Delaware," Tom Deweese, Canada Free Press, November 10, 2007
• "Indoctrination at the University of Delaware," Michael Lewis, Commentary Magazine, November 10, 2007
• "Controversy hits Harker at Delaware," Rebecca Kaplan, The Daily Pennsylvanian, November 9, 2007
• "The University of Delaware suspends tolerance ‘treatment’," Joe Murray, Philadelphia Bulletin, November 5, 2007
• "Re-thinking thought reform," Wendy Kaminer, The Phoenix, November 4, 2007
• "Perversity in diversity," Zay Smith, Chicago Sun-Times, November 4, 2007:  
• "U. of Del. halts diversity program," Kathy Boccella, The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 3, 2007
• "University of Delaware drops controversial program," Ron Chusid, Liberal Values Blog, November 3, 2007:  
• "U. of Delaware halts residence-life program that was criticized as ‘thought reform’," Eric Hoover, The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 2, 2007
• "Diversity program creates division," Kathy Boccella, The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 2, 2007
• "George Borjas and the perils of ‘indoctrination’," Evan Goldstein, The Chronicle of Higher Education Blogs, November 2, 2007:      
• "University defends teaching students all whites ‘racist’," Bob Unruh, World Net Daily, November 2, 2007
• "University of Delaware ‘indoctrination’ program scuttled," American Thinker Blog, November 2, 2007
• "U. of Del. says dorm program isn't ‘thought control’," Associated Press, The First Amendment Center, November 2, 2007: DOVER, Del. — University of Delaware officials yesterday defended a residence-hall program that a civil rights group has criticized as trying to force dormitory residents to adopt university-approved ideologies on moral and social issues.
• "UD diversity training crossed the line into student intimidation," The News Journal, November 2, 2007:  
• "UD halts controversial dorm program," Randall Chase, The Daily Times, November 1, 2007
• "UDel tolerance ‘treatments’ come under FIRE," Joe Murray, The Bulletin, November 1, 2007
• "Some made uneasy by UD diversity training," Beth Miller, The News Journal, November 1, 2007: Brooke Aldrich considers herself open-minded and accepting of all kinds of people.
• "University forces all students to say that all whites are racist," David Storobin, Global Politician, November 1, 2007:  
• "PC University: U of Delaware under FIRE for forced ‘reconditioning’," Karen Chenoweth, Monsters and Critics, November 1, 2007: In a case of Big Brother gone amuck on a college campus, student group FIRE has fought back at the University of Delaware for draconian PC “reeducation.”
• "University of Delaware Accused of Indoctrinating Students," Associated Press, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, October 31, 2007: The University of Delaware has come under fire by a civil rights group that claims the school is trying to force dormitory residents to adopt university-approved ideologies on moral and social issues
• "Brave Newark World," Mike Adams, Townhall.com, October 31, 2007:  
• "University of Delaware accused of indoctrinating students," Associated Press, CBS3 - Philadelphia, October 31, 2007
• "Indoctrination at Delaware," John Leo, Minding the Campus, October 30, 2007
• "‘All whites are racist’," Bob Unruh, World Net Daily, October 30, 2007:  

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