Nation Topics - Education | The Nation

The article provides short reflections to United States political news stories. News stories looked at include the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing concerning the National Security Agency surveillance scandal, the investigation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Vice-President Richard Cheney's hunting accident, requests for replacement of Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael Brown, and ways to lessen the effects of global warming.

The article presents responses to "Bitter Winter at NYU," by Scott Sherman, featured in the January 9/16, 2006 issue. Letters both praise and dispute the Sherman's reporting on the New York University graduate student strike. Sherman offers a response to his critics and provides new information on NYU's handling of the students' grievances.

The article comments on a conflict at New York University (NYU) between graduate teaching assistants, who walked out on strike, and president John Sexton. Sexton's threat, buried in a long missive to the strikers, was greeting with shock and outrage on the campus. NYU was the first private university in the U.S. to negotiate a contract with a graduate student union, in this case the Graduate Student Organizing Committee, affiliated with the United Auto Workers. A significant number of union members have stayed on strike. Pressure on Sexton, who has yet to carry out his reprisals, is steadily increasing.

Focuses on a protest in support of the graduate teaching assistant union (GSOC-UAW) in front of New York University's (NYU) Bobst Library after NYU's use of an antilabor ruling by U.S. President George W. Bush's NLRB to deep-six the union. Participation of AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, UNITE HERE president Bruce Raynor, UAW secretary-treasurer Elizabeth Bunn and high-profile New York City and state politicians; Denial of some of NYU's requests for special dispensations by the New York City Council as retaliation.

Presents an editorial regarding judicial nominations in the United States under President George W. Bush. Desire of House majority leader Tom DeLay to place right-wing judges in the Supreme Court; Frustration of Senate majority leader Bill Frist at the use of the filibuster by Senate Democrats to block judicial nominations; Statement that Bush has submitted the names of Janice Brown and Priscilla Owen as judicial nominees; Possibility that the Senate Republicans will change the rules to make filibusters of judicial nominees impossible.

Focuses on a perceived lack of Republican faculty members at Harvard University. Report that Harvard employees give more money to Democratic causes than Republican causes; View of some Republican faculty that they are subject to political discrimination; Discussion of potential differences between Democratic and Republican faculty members; Potential explanations for the prevalence of Democrats in the Harvard faculty.

Examines the response of the U.S. government to dissent among intellectuals and university leaders. Importance of support in academia to the sustainability of U.S. policy in the Middle East; View that dissent from U.S. policy in academia has been suppressed during the administration of President George W. Bush; Description of conflict between Arab faculty and Israeli students at Columbia University; Impact of political participation of faculty and students on higher education in the U.S.

Looks at the impact of the Arab-Israeli conflict on students and faculty at Columbia University in New York City. Movement among professors and students to urge Columbia's divestiture from companies who sell weapons to Israel; Highlights of a student film, called "Columbia Unbecoming," in which students assert that professors suppress the views of students who support Israel; Opposition of several faculty members to the content of the film; Details of allegations against several professors contained in the film; Impact of politics on Middle East studies in U.S. higher education.

Presents letters to the editor in response to articles in previous issues of "The Nation." Response to "Subject to Debate," on Harvard president Lawrence Summer's controversial statements about women, in the Feb. 21, 2005 issue; Reaction to "Post-Roe Postcard," on the deterioration of women's rights and the trend towards recriminalizing abortion, in the Feb. 7 issue; Letter regarding "Passings," noting Seymour Melman's death, in the Jan. 24 issue; More letters.

Presents a letter to the editor of the June 28, 2004 issue of "The Nation." Response to the article "Brown at 50" found in the May 3, 2004 issue; Discussion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision; Comparisons between the U.S. government's treatment of African Americans and its treatment of Indians of North America.