The College of Education pictured on March 2, 2023.
Michigan State University is facing criticism from conservatives over an introductory teaching class.
State and national Republican officials lambasted the university on Thursday, after the syllabus for a College of Education class was circulated online late last week. They argued that the class teaches content that is divisive and discriminatory towards white students.
The university, however, says the excerpt being circulated online misrepresents the course and what it seeks to teach students. MSU says its curriculum is in line with national teacher preparation standards. Multiple students interviewed by The State News also pushed back against Republicans' characterization, saying they haven't observed their professors teaching with a bias or silencing conservative opinions.
The class, called "Social Foundations of Justice and Equity in Education," is a required course for students seeking their teaching certification.
Conservatives have focused their criticisms on two aspects of the class syllabus, a copy of which was shared with The State News.
It states that, among the principles of the teacher education curriculum the class adheres to, "we are also committed to the Guiding Principles of the Black Lives Matter Movement … ."
The class’s sole required book, titled "We Want to Do More than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom," has faced additional scrutiny for an excerpt in which the book’s author writes that "Whiteness is addicted to centering itself, addicted to attention, and making everyone feel guilty for working toward its elimination."
"This kind of rhetoric only pushes Americans further apart, and is not only a waste of taxpayer money at a publicly funded university, but also a waste of students’ time," MSU’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, or YAF, wrote in a press release last Friday.
Aidan Haas, the group treasurer and civil engineering sophomore, said the organization learned about the class, which has the class code TE 101, from one of its members. Haas said bringing attention to the syllabus contents fulfills one of Young Americans for Freedom’s core purposes: To serve as a watchdog over professors they believe are being discriminatory to conservative students and call out wasteful spending of public dollars.
University spokesperson Amber McCann said in a statement to The State News that the quote from the assigned reading circulated by YAF was taken out of context.
"This is an introductory course that aligns with national teacher preparation standards, and its associated curriculum is reviewed through well-established academic governance processes at the department, college, and institutional level," McCann said.
The controversy surrounding the class echoes moments in recent years when conservative student organizations have criticized professors for their perceived liberal bias, and takes on an additional significance as the administration of President Donald Trump cracks down on claims of anti-white discrimination on college campuses.
The curriculum for TE 101 appears to be uniform across each section taught, regardless of who the professor is.
Haas said that given those circumstances, the U.S. The Department of Education should consider conducting a "holistic overview" to figure out "who’s writing these course materials, how long has this been in place, and what other courses might be affected by this."
Haas added that he would like to see MSU consider reforming the class to focus on other elements of equity and justice in education, such as assisting students with learning disabilities or integrating technology, rather than "the current political viewpoints that really do seem to be coming from the left."
However, political science sophomore and TE 101 student Destini Horton disagreed with the idea that the class is racist toward white students. Instead, Horton said that the class asks students to consider their role as future educators in changing "the systematic oppression that is already in the world."
Horton also disagreed with the notion that the class syllabus discourages students from disagreeing with each other, though she noted that disagreement isn’t common in her section.
"We agree with each other, yeah, and he promotes us to have our own perspective on change," Horton said.
Secondary education senior Spenser Vasich also pushed back on Republicans' perceptions of the class discriminating against white students, saying "that has not been my experience."
Prominent Republicans and conservative influencers expressed their discontent with the class and the university on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
State Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, an MSU alum who stirred controversy in the spring of this year when he argued that the U.S. Supreme Court should overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage, wrote that "formal action is being pursued immediately to right this deep wrong."
U.S. Rep. and Republican gubernatorial candidate John James also wrote, "When I’m Governor, state-funded division will end." Republican candidates State Sen. Aric Nesbitt and former House speaker Tom Leonard also made posts condemning the class.
MSU College Republicans responded to Rep. James' post, writing, "Sorry to report this is only the beginning, the whole department is filled with nonsense like this, The College of Education needs to be investigated," and tagging an attorney for the U.S. Justice Department.
McCann, in her statement, said that "Michigan State University remains firmly committed to academic freedom, scholarly inquiry, and the preparation of educators who are well equipped to serve all students."
