Colorado Conservatives
The move has generated criticism from the left. Poli sci grad student Curtis Bell: "Why set aside money specifically for a conservative? . . . I'd rather see a quality academic than someone paid to have a particular perspective." (There's nothing in the proposal that specifically says a "conservative" has to be hired; and I wonder whether Bell would have offered similar objections to a new endowed chair for a position likely to yield a left-wing hire.) Sophomore Sophomore Marissa Malouff: Students "need to learn about social problems and poverty and the type of things liberal professors are likely to talk about." OK.
But the idea also attacted criticism from some conservatives. George Will: "Like Margaret Mead among the Samoans, they're planning to study conservatives. That's hilarious."
Will's criticism is unfortunate in this instance. Few (outside the academy, anyway) would deny that a Tier One research university should have at least one person on staff who specializes in understanding conservative thought or the history or implementation of conservative policy options.
Ideally, of course, many such figures would be hired in the normal personnel process. But that doesn't seem to be happening, at Colorado or most major universities, as humanities and (some) social science departments redefine lines along lines of race, class, and gender; and away from the sort of questions to be explored by the Colorado position. Whether or not a political conservative is ultimately hired should be irrelevant; the pedagogical diversity that the new Colorado position will bring is welcome.