JJ posted a syllabus from an Ag seminar class at Mississippi State University Monday. The syllabus had been floating around on social media and drew no small amount of criticism as an example of communist/collectivist/liberal/animal rights ideology/fill in the blank for your personal fear used to indoctrinate college students. MSU Communications Director Sid Salter stated in an email to JJ:
Posted below is the syllabus. It clearly says "seminar" in the title. Most college graduates are going to be familiar with the concept of a seminar course. The syllabus made the rounds on social media. What is interesting is the syllabus presents a host of topics that seem to be rather on one side of the equation with no topics balancing said equation. That is probably what got the attention of so many.
The course in question is an upper level seminar course, in which faculty and students discuss and debate real world myths and misinformation related to agriculture and food production.
MSU is one of the nation’s premier agricultural research institutions and provide vital support for Mississippi’s $7 billion plus agriculture industry, including production of beef and dairy cattle, poultry, swine, sheep and the gamut of other cash crops.
Here is a “for attribution” quote from the MSU dean in charge of these programs:
In regard to recent concerns that were posted on social media regarding one of our Poultry seminars and the associated topics, we are not teaching those statements as fact.
“Indeed, just the opposite, we are teaching our students the science that refutes those statements. Students actually had input into the list of topics.
“Students are presented the facts and they learn how to respond to false reports which are often presented in social media and the internet. Our students need to understand that the current topics in the news are not always accurate.
“The list of topics shown in the seminar series are but a few examples out there that are not completely factual in regards to food and agriculture.
“Our students, the future leaders, need to know the truth, and be ready to speak up when they hear misleading and inaccurate information. This is one way we teach critical thinking.”
George M. Hopper
Dean and Director
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
College of Forest Resources
Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station
Forest and Wildlife Research Center
JJ appreciates the response and didn't bury it in the old post but instead is placing it where everyone who happens upon this website can see it.
30 comments:
What that syllabus needs more than ever is a sarcasm font
Anyone with an ounce of sense knew that when you first posted it.
Just goes to show why it is important to have all the facts before jumping to conclusions.
Poor liberal Sid. God bless his soul. They only want to talk about the things that will bash the other side. Just the way they do it withh the liberal college professors these days. Praise God my kids are out school.
"Higher education" has earned every ounce of our skepticism .
glad to know Sid does more than moonlighting and writing weekly articles
KF the provocature sure does like to stir up his ignorant hillbilly readers. Gets those comments and page view numbers up!
The flagship university of the state thanks you!
7:10 AM, on the contrary. I thought it was a prank since it was so poorly written. I should've known that it was an actual MSU Prof that typed it out. Hotty Toddy.
LOL. Snowflakes.
what's shocking is that perhaps they are looking to refute these statements..some of which have merit...
(poor conditions within chicken barns, gmo foods as a health risk, bleach in the meat...)
Best item on the syllabus is Spring Break.
The mere fact that this non-event needs explaining should be deeply troubling on a number of levels...which means it will not be troubling in the least to the vast majority of folks.
There are exceptions, but as a general matter, you can assume MSU is focused on no-bullshit stuff that prepares people to work.
People who want to do critical feminist dance theory normally don't look at Starkville, MS and say, yep that's the place for me.
Anyone with an ounce of sense knew that when you first posted it.
The person who posted it didn't.
That all sounds nice but after I complained to the Dean of Students about the PC-liberalism at MSU, I received an email from the Dean's office informing me that MSU was founded in 1878 on the four pillars of Learning, Research, Service and Diversity. This was a bald faced lie from the office of the Dean of Students. Learning, Research and Service have always been pillars but the Diversity addition has never been one of the pillars. That is, never until it fit the liberal narrative being spun by MSU.
MSU gets zero support from this alumnus.
Chickens are evil, vindictive descendants of dinosaurs. They are always looking for something or someone to attack and eat. What they can't eat, they poop on. I wonder do they cover that.
God forbid if we don't all goose step off the cliff with the right wing lunatics who run our #50 state.
11:02
You are absolutely correct .
I have been in academia for over 40 years and this diversity "pillar" is made up stuff. I am not saying diversity is wrong but the MSU statement is wrong.
11:02 - Sounds like you were looking to get pissed off and, no surprise, found what you were looking for.
@11:46am "God forbid if we don't all goose step off the cliff with the right wing lunatics who run our #50 state."
Mississippi is completely saturated by Republicans in Name Only (RINOs). They are all good ole' boys/girls with their hands in the trough chasing that neon rainbow PERS pension - and protecting their corrupt friends.
If the Feds ever do start to help out Auditor White to determine where 44% of Mississippi's budget (that comes from Washington) is actually going (or not) it's going to be lights out.
I don’t understand why so very many state people are embarrassed with state being an agricultural college. I don’t understand why they were embarrassed with their original name; and the secondary name for that matter. I love a nice country setting. I love a nice cold class of milk. I love a sizzling hot steak right off the grill. I love, no I really love ice cream. So state folks, wear your agricultural heritage with pride. Of course, ringing those annoying cow bells surely do make y’all appear terribly red neck.
12:41 - So in your world it is perfectly acceptable for the office Dean of Students to purposely deceive and lie in it's communications?
"Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions."
G.K. Chesterton
According to Sid, a three chambered bong or "ass whooping" may or may not help.
What does this have to do with diversity?
This has everything to do with academic integrity, of which this school has none.
Sid, not unlike 99% of college instructors, professors and deans, will always wiggle out of whichever side of a discussion or argument which supports his liberal thought process. He can spend all day long touting his conservative roots, his good-ole-boy love for sitting under a ceiling fan at Neshoba and his attraction to bream fishing with crickets while wearing a straw hat...but, at the end of every day, he goes to bed a liberal.
And liberals, once again, have hired him and they make a twice-monthly direct deposit to his bank account. Oh...and PERS.
I'm stunned.
If you don't adhere to a position you can defend other than to get snarky like a two year old that hasn't had a nap, it's because you don't know why your position is superior and more supportable than differing positions.
If simply reading or understanding positions different from yours is " brainwashing" or " confusing" or "weakens" your position or makes you feel threatened, you are weak minded.
In short, if you can't defend your position, it's because your position is indefensible or it's because you are either intellectually lazy or shallow and gullible.
Some of you are just parrots. You don't think for yourselves. You change the subject in an effort to " muddy the waters" or keep others from focusing on their mistake. Worse, as a result, some of you can't recognize who is feeding you BS and who isn't.
What I don't understand is how in the hell did some of you get out of high school without being taught how to think for yourself and evaluate the validity of arguments unless you were in " shop" or the classes for " slow" children?
I read most every article on JJ with the exception of the articles posted by Sid Salter and Bill Campbell. Reading their columns is a waste of time.
9:20 - It's impossible to figure out which post(s) got you triggered...or if you even posted to the right thread. What I'm trying to say to you is - I see no correlation between your post any any other(s).
6:23 - I'll take the sound of a cowbell any day over the smell of possum simmering in a crock-pot in The Grove. Clanga-Langa.
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