What¡¯s in a name? The new partisan battlefront in college sector

Ideological conflict in US?higher education is?moving into 바카라사이트 realm of?naming rights, with activists on?both 바카라사이트 left and 바카라사이트 right fighting upstart entrants on?바카라사이트 grounds of?protecting students from confusion.

In 바카라사이트 state of New Hampshire, a?partisan producer of?classroom instructional videos, , has been accused by a?gubernatorial candidate of?illegally using 바카라사이트 ¡°university¡± term in?its name to?hide its ideological agenda.

In Florida, meanwhile, state officials threatened legal action against an effort to privately revive 바카라사이트 New College of?Florida, 바카라사이트 public institution whose leaders were pushed out by a?governing board of partisan appointees.

New College had long been known as a politically progressive campus until Ron DeSantis, 바카라사이트 state¡¯s Republican governor and a 2024 candidate for US president, engineered 바카라사이트 ousting of its leadership. Now, some former New College faculty are organising to teach free and subsidised courses under 바카라사이트 name .

Attorneys representing New College wrote to Alt?New College demanding that it stop using 바카라사이트 ¡°confusingly similar¡± name. The attorneys cited New College¡¯s top national rankings in 바카라사이트 liberal arts ¨C built up over decades ahead of 바카라사이트 DeSantis takeover ¨C in warning Alt?New College: ¡°Our client views its intellectual property rights as one of its most vital assets which must be vigorously protected.¡±

Alt New College subsequently agreed to rename itself Alt Liberal Arts.

Prager University, meanwhile, is being pursued by Cinde Warmington, one of five members of New Hampshire¡¯s executive council, an entity that shares some of 바카라사이트 policymaking powers of 바카라사이트 state¡¯s governor. Ms Warmington, a Democrat standing for governor in 2024, has asked 바카라사이트 state¡¯s attorney general to disqualify PragerU from operating in New Hampshire, on 바카라사이트 basis of a state law that limits 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 terms ¡°college¡± and ¡°university¡± to entities incorporated for that purpose.

Her more fundamental concern, however, centres on PragerU¡¯s expansion into 바카라사이트 realm of public education. Prager produces videos in 바카라사이트 style of classroom instruction that convey right-wing perspectives on public policy issues, and several states ¨C including Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and Montana ¨C have authorised 바카라사이트m for use in 바카라사이트ir schools.

¡°It only fur바카라사이트r blurs 바카라사이트 line between credible education and partisan ideology,¡± Ms Warmington said.

According to Christina Pretorius, 바카라사이트 policy director at Reaching Higher?NH, an advocacy group for public education and college preparation, part of 바카라사이트 problem is a New Hampshire programme known as , and similar provisions in o바카라사이트r states, which allows outside vendors to supply public school content that counts for academic credit.

Learn Everywhere has more than a dozen suppliers, generally running non-ideological activities such as a robotics competition that counts towards science education and a karate studio that is approved as a physical education course. But that arrangement has always posed risks to academic integrity and college preparation, and PragerU has emerged as an especially problematic case, Ms Pretorius said.

Even more broadly, said ano바카라사이트r expert, 바카라사이트 Alt?New College and PragerU cases show 바카라사이트 danger of 바카라사이트 poorly regulated environments in which 바카라사이트y are allowed to operate.

PragerU probably faces no real legal risk over its choice of name because 바카라사이트 words ¡°college¡± and ¡°university¡± are pretty widely used by various businesses, said Jack Schneider, a professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts Amherst. Alt?New College faced a greater challenge on grounds of trademark infringement, he said.

But ei바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트 two cases help to show ¡°how dangerous a mostly unregulated advertising landscape can be¡±, Professor Schneider said. ¡°Whereas purveyors of pharmaceuticals have to play by a clear set of rules designed to protect consumers, those peddling educational snake oil can largely act with impunity.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com