University of Austin

Many ideas can be found in my university. To say anything else is a fantasy. I am not so sure about this on though. It is motivated by a sense that leftist ideas are dominant in the academy and wrongheaded.Think it will have many blindspots. Its free speech rhetoric is just that, rhetoric. Its ideological conviction is made of iron.

I'm pleased for her, she will feel much less alone.

It's not the only offer she's received either :)

I am delighted she has an interesting new project to work on . They are very lucky to have her on board and yes as a feminist she will be an excellent counterpoint to some of the ‘big swinging dick’ types on the list.

I don't know anything about this new university so I won't comment on that. But if we're going to everyone who checks out their options before resigning their post then please show me the door and I'll leave quietly.

I think Stock has lost credibility with this. I had heard on grapevine she wanted to jump and students provided the springboard on cue. Clearly this was lined up, so not so heroic really. Also getting on board with a number of decidedly unfeminist thinkers. Nit impressive

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/11/08/kathleen-stock-takes-job-anti-cancel-culture-university-welcomes/

Trans row professor takes job at 'anti-cancel culture' university.

Prof Stock clarified that the role, which is not full time, would not require her to relocated to the US, but that it would enable her to "get involved in various ways from a UK base".

According to Bari Weiss, an American journalist and author, who is on the board of advisers, Prof Stock is among the founding faculty fellows.

"This univerity will welcome witches who refuse to burn", she said.

What kind of philanthropists though? Very woke ones aren’t going to fund this commitment to truth and surely it’s not trying to appeal to serious conservative money ie also anti rights and truth except the ones that suit them. In America this needs a middle ground, does it exist in philanthropy?

Apparently, it's funded by "Cicero Research" which is a project of Palantir co-founder Jon Lonsdale and his private equity/venture capital family. That would fall under my comment above about the character of some the men involved in this project.

I've always had a soft spot for Austin, visited a few times.

On a more serious note (cheese grits, drool), it will be interesting to see how this develops. It may be tempting to dismiss it as a "pretend uni for right-wingers," but honestly the US is already crawling with private religious unis that lean socially and politically conservative. No one really needs to start another one (in Austin of all places) and I doubt there's sufficient support for a "right-wing but not religious" university to make such an endeavour worthwhile.

So I think it's likely they are, in fact, trying to create something that isn't strictly left or right, but is stepping outside the conservative groupthink of the religion-based unis, and the liberal groupthink of the mainstream unis. And good for them if they succeed.

Looks like the reason they're just starting with some summer courses is that they need to achieve accreditation before being able to officially offer degree programs. If they were shysters they'd be glossing over that bit, but they're perfectly transparent about it in their FAQs.

(Best masala dosas I've ever had....)

Mmmmm, great food scene in Austin. /Misses point

strong cases of "lalalaIcanthearyou", I see.

So it seems!

Nah, too busy squirrelling away.

Vey active, squirrels.

Shall I squirrel spot with you, @MrsOvertonsWindow?

They do keep coming.

that university doesn't award degrees - it sounds like for now they are planning to offer summer school courses to rich kids?

How would it work in the UK? I've got a feeling you need an act of parliament to establish a new uni that can award degrees in its own name.

tbh, I would welcome competition in the HE sector in the UK for a high value, online university degree that is competitively priced.

A concern I do have is that over the next decade or so billions of dollars from tech bilionaires is going to go to promote trans activism and identity politics.

thehill.com/homenews/509429-mackenzie-scott-ex-wife-of-jeff-bezos-announces-17-billion-in-donations-to-charities

How would it work in the UK? I've got a feeling you need an act of parliament to establish a new uni that can award degrees in its own name.

I would hope that if it eventually becomes popular and respected, existing universities (who are obviously chasing fees and will bend to the market) would become more hospitable to critical thinking.

I don't think it would necessitate lots of brand new uni's for the existing ones to change, given appropriate cultural and market shifts. They'll just adapt as necessary to survive. It's likely going to take a while, though!