At Penn, Tensions May Only Be Growing After Magill's Resignation

This article reports on the controversy at the University of Pennsylvania, centered around protests against Marc Rowan's influence and a perceived shift towards conservative policies at the institution. The narrative is imbued with a moderate right perspective, highlighting concerns over liberal orthodoxy in academia and the backlash against it, framed as an effort to uphold academic freedom and merit-based considerations. The piece leans on emotional appeals to describe the tension on campus and employs straw man tactics by simplifying the protestors' arguments against conservative influences as entirely oppositional to diversity and inclusion. The language used carries a bias towards viewing the protest and criticism of Rowan's proposals as an overreaction, suggesting a false dilemma between academic excellence and diversity efforts. It also predicts a slippery slope where conservative efforts to address perceived biases in higher education could lead to broader, more significant changes in academic freedom and the role of donors in university governance. The article generalizes the discord at Penn as part of a larger conservative pushback against liberal dominance in higher education, without fully exploring the nuances of the debate within the university community.