University Of Austin Will 'Pursuit Truth,' Counter Censorship

Austin TX

09 November, 2021

4:17 PM

Description

AUSTIN, TX — The University of Austin, a new private liberal arts school, is planning to open soon in response to what some perceive as a culture of censorship on college campuses. The university garnered national attention Monday after incoming president Pano Kanelos announced the formation of the nonprofit university on the Substack newsletter platform in the publication "Common Sense" by former New York Times journalist Bari Weiss. "The reality is that many universities no longer have an incentive to create an environment where intellectual dissent is protected and fashionable opinions are scrutinized," the letter states. "...We are done waiting for the legacy universities to right themselves. And so we are building anew. " Live in Austin? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free mobile app on Android or iPhone. The University of Austin, also known as UATX, announced in a promotional video Monday on Twitter its plans on opening in the future. "We're done waiting for America's universities to fix themselves so we are starting a new one," the video said. The university's mission is to create a "fiercely independent" school that offers an alternative to what founders see as a rise in "illiberalism" on college campuses and a waning dedication among universities to protect free speech and civil discourse, according to its website. A new university dedicated to the pursuit of truth. pic.twitter.com/8mQRFPK53B— The University of Austin (UATX) (@uaustinorg) November 8, 2021 The university is headquartered at 2112 Rio Grande Street and is not offering degrees and does not plan to offer an undergraduate degree program until at least 2024. The school is still in the process of securing land in the Austin area for a physical campus, and it is seeking millions in donations for scholarships and to help establish its programs. Some of the programs it plans to include next year are masters programs in entrepreneurship and leadership, and then programs in politics and applied history, and education and public service. One course, set to be available in summer 2022, is called Forbidden Courses, in which students will discuss "provocative questions that often lead to censorship or self-censorship." Patch reached out to UATX for comment on Monday. When we receive a reply, we will update this story. "We are done waiting for the legacy universities to right themselves. And so we are building anew. I mean that quite literally..." https://t.co/6rOYE65okb— The University of Austin (UATX) (@uaustinorg) November 8, 2021 The board of advisers at the school include former NYT journalist Bari Weiss, Harvard academic Steven Pinker, former Harvard University president Lawrence H. Summers and playwright David Mamet. Kanelos, the former president of St. John's College in Maryland, said in the letter he is helping establish the university in response to institutions that produce graduates who are "incapable and unwilling to participate in the core activity of democratic governance." He said the university will be focused on "the intrepid pursuit of truth" and exposing students to "the deepest wisdom of civilization." According to its website, the founders chose Austin for the university location because Texas is seeing an increase in talent and capital and the city is "a hub for builders, mavericks and creators." "If it's good enough for Elon Musk and Joe Rogan, it's good enough for us," the website says.