"The school claims to foster a "free speech culture," but critics say it's part of a movement to promote a conservative agenda for students. While SCiLL was first announced in 2023, the campaign to amplify conservative thought at the university began a decade ago. The Nation reported in 2015 that wealthy conservative donors funded think tanks to promote courses on campus dedicated to "liberty, capitalism, and traditional perspectives.""
"Now, SCiLL is part of a growing trend of campus centers, often called "civics centers" or "schools of intellectual freedom." Some, like the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, were founded through donors. Others, such as the Hamilton School at the University of Florida, were created through the state legislature. The curricula at these centers emphasize Western civilization and often combine American history with the classics. For some academics, the limited scope of this civic education is concerning."
Centers now exist at public universities in Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Arizona, Ohio, and soon Iowa. A University of North Carolina student took a public discourse course in 2024 through the School of Civic Life and Leadership (SCiLL) and enjoyed it despite its heavier focus on political theory. The school claims to foster a free-speech culture, while critics call it part of a movement promoting a conservative student agenda. The campaign to amplify conservative thought began about a decade ago, with wealthy conservative donors funding think tanks to promote courses devoted to liberty, capitalism, and traditional perspectives. Curricula emphasize Western civilization and the classics.
Read at Truthout
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