A reader tipped me off to this latest bit of insanity from Bezerkely.

The English R1A reading and comprehension course, titled "The Politics and Poetics of Palestinian Resistance," states in its course description that "conservative thinkers are encouraged to seek other sections"?a violation of the university's Faculty Code of Conduct.

According to the course description, the class "takes as its starting point the right of Palestinians to fight for their own self-determination."

I have some suggestions to further flesh out the curriculum.

English R1A, titled "The Politics and Poetics of White Aryan Resistance."

This class takes as its starting point the right of white people in America to fight for their own self-determination. Liberal thinkers are encouraged to seek other sections. Instructor: David Duke

English R1A, titled "The Politics and Poetics of Native American Resistance."

This class takes as its starting point the right of the aboriginal peoples in America to fight for their own self-determination. Cowboy thinkers, and Custer and John Wayne apologists are encouraged to seek other sections. Instructer: Russell Means

English R1A, titled "The Politics and Poetics of Feminine Resistance."

This class takes as its starting point the right of the non-conservative women in America to fight for their own self-determination. Misogynists, male chauvinist pigs, and rapists (i.e., all heterosexual men) are encouraged to seek other sections. Instructer: Catherine McKinnon

I've got a comments section--feel free to come up with your own.

[Saturday morning update]

The Angry Clam blog at Berkely is all over this story.

How about a no-men-allowed seminar at Boston U by Professor Mary Daly. That one was for real, though, and it cost her her job (yeah!). Of course she thought it was horribly bigoted and oppressive of them to fire her for breaking their antidiscrimination rules.

I checked out the site. It appears that the line "conservative thinkers are encouraged to seek other sections" has been removed (at least I don't see it), even though the page says it was last updated on 4/8/02.

Back in the old days (1970s) at UC Santa Cruz, my future wife attended a female (sorry, feperson) anatomy class. There were two men in the class, and when one raised an objection to some male-bashing by the instructor, he was told by some rather shrill students that he didn't even belong in that class, it was a class for women, etc. A large part of the class cheered, but my wife and several others walked out. It was a pretty typical episode for UCSC at the time.

Forgot to mention in the last post, the site seems to have removed the "conservative" line, but still considers the occupation to date from 1948. This means all of Israel is "occupied territories".

For more on this, you might want to see the Angry Clam's page:

http://angryclam.blogspot.com/?/2002_05_01_angryclam_archive.html

His page has opened my eyes to a whole new reality. I's just a simple fizzycyst, but I sort of thought that classes had to be kinda sorta, you know, *approved* by your department. You couldn't just announce you were teaching some sort of half-assed, bullshit course when you were needed to teach something more fundamental. Or maybe Berkeley's become like those medieval universities where you announced you were giving a course in Whatever, and you got paid if and when the students dropped some change in your tip jar on the way out. Maybe this is the way to go. My field is especially congenial to being bullshit-ized. Who needs professional pride and intellectual honesty when you can have sweet green cash?

*I* saw the "no conservatives need apply" (paraphrase) line on the site earlier today. So they've removed it already, hmm? That's quick. At UCF they still have last year's schedule up on the philosophy dept website... :)

FM-110-TC Conservative Resistance. Instructor: Jeff Cooper. Unarmed peasants need not attend.

Ooh, David, you're mean! heh heh heh. The teaching assistant is Jan Liboural?

Hee...didn't think of that. Hmm, could we have it registered as a Phys Ed class, so the school will have to provide funds for a matching women's-sports version, or do we place it as an English class so we get free invites to the Noam Chomsky lectures?

I like the Phys Ed idea. Forcing the school to match funds gotta hurt! Besides, we can crash the Chomsky lectures.

I can't throw stones. I went to Emory and Mike Bellesiles still has a job. I think I am going to homeschool my daughter for college.

Sheesh!