Some 'quick' thoughts about Freedom University
Added 2021-11-09 07:27:34 +0000 UTCWe offer our immediate reactions to the incredibly well thought out and meticulously planned announcement of the new 'University of Austin' AKA Galileo High, Culture War U., Freedom University, the last Light against the Darkness, etc.
It will shock you to learn we are not impressed.
Audio version to follow...
Comments
Thanks Adam for that info about US uni accreditation. Yeah Chris, I think you’ve been proved right, by the way some more established figures are distancing themselves from the enterprise
Guruspod 2
2021-11-22 05:41:37 +0000 UTCI think Sam avoided that is because he's pretty gunshy from being into and then leaving the IDW.
Anonymous ethicist, not a serial killer at all, just asking questions.
2021-11-17 04:24:19 +0000 UTCI find it odd that Pinker and Haidt are always associated with these heterodox projects, while not spending that much time in the culture wars (and having good research credentials). I almost feel like they just don't pay that much attention to Twitter and other online forums, so have no idea who they are actually endorsing. How could somebody that is a professor at Harvard University be an advisor to a fledgeling university that includes in its 5 founding Trustees Heather Heying?!?
Chris Spanos
2021-11-11 07:53:44 +0000 UTCAlso yer man from Palantir, Joe Lonsdale Thiel's pal, just moved his current company 8VC to Austin in Nov 2020. He's the initial funder so makes sense he wants to see his peasants in the field. Also no state taxes down there (plus he can probably write off educational spending against his regular federal taxes, with the right accountancy setup)
Paul Bowman
2021-11-09 16:21:17 +0000 UTCHigher Learning Commission appears to have a spotty track record: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_Learning_Commission#cite_note-Fain-2015-10-05-7
Steve Dondley
2021-11-09 13:47:19 +0000 UTCFrom their FAQ: ARE YOU ACCREDITED? UATX is seeking initial accreditation as a private postsecondary educational institution through the Higher Learning Commission, an accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education, and authorization from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Steve Dondley
2021-11-09 13:41:56 +0000 UTCJust want to point out that there is already a real “Freedom University” out there that is a very good cause so this branding is a bit off: https://www.freedom-university.org/home
DavidtheG
2021-11-09 13:00:08 +0000 UTCAlso Matt is clearly slandering Eric near the end, he wouldn't walk away from this just because someone insulted him in a meeting. They forgot to tell him about it, and it became clear everyone associated is part of the DISC
Adam Session
2021-11-09 10:24:39 +0000 UTCJust to answer some questions you mentioned at the beginning about universities in the US: there are a lot of unaccredited "universities" in the US, like Trump University, but they cannot offer officially recognized degrees (as determined by the Department of Education). Any degree offered will not be recognized by other universities in terms of graduate schools/teaching. There are different organizations that confer that accreditation that the Department of Education then recognizes. Taking a recent university as an example, UC Merced. Founded in 2005, it took decades to establish after deciding where they would build it and they are part of of an established university system in the UC (same system as Berkeley for reference).
Adam Session
2021-11-09 10:16:47 +0000 UTCWonder if this was foreshadowing. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1453954994546229253?s=21
Heather Geverding
2021-11-09 09:18:42 +0000 UTCNiall Ferguson says it will be a “start up”. Wants capital from Peter Thiel and Elon. Classes to start summer 2023 and states that Sam Harris is a perfect fit for the ethos of the endeavour. Given Heather Heying is also involved, I suspect the plan is to lure in Sam with some mushroom coffee and a promise of being able to practice scientific rigour in a liberal arts setting in an attempt to finally get him cancelled.
elcid
2021-11-09 08:47:01 +0000 UTCIn the next paragraph on their FAQ page, they laugh it off as some kind of joke with a "but seriously." "But seriously: Texas is experiencing a historic boom in talent and capital. Austin, in particular, is a hub for builders, mavericks and creators—the kind of people our university aims to attract and from whom we want to receive guidance."
Steve Dondley
2021-11-09 08:28:34 +0000 UTCThis is fro Houston Chronicle: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/University-of-Austin-college-Bari-Weiss-16602677.php
Steve Dondley
2021-11-09 08:18:45 +0000 UTCHoly Christ, I just googled it: On its "Frequently Asked Questions" page, the University of Austin claims it is a "private, non-profit institution fiscally sponsored by Cicero Research" and chose Austin as its location out of an affection for comedian Joe Rogan and SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk.
Steve Dondley
2021-11-09 08:17:37 +0000 UTCThat would be way too myopic... but the location is likely not a coincidence.
Christopher Kavanagh
2021-11-09 08:08:54 +0000 UTCI wonder if they called it "University of Austin" because they figure that would make it a good story for Joe Rogan to cover (who is based in Austin).
Steve Dondley
2021-11-09 07:54:38 +0000 UTCoverload
Steve Dondley
2021-11-09 07:41:05 +0000 UTCWhoa, sarcasm overlad. :)
Steve Dondley
2021-11-09 07:40:22 +0000 UTC
