As college alumni, many of us have worked tirelessly to achieve academic success. Because of this, we often look to give back to our alma maters, whether through time, expertise or financial support. These donations are meant to ensure that future generations of students receive high-quality educations that prepare them for success in the real world.
But there is a disturbing trend emerging at some universities, one that is undermining the core mission of higher education, which is to impart knowledge and critical thinking rather than push political or ideological agendas.
Recent reports from institutions from two of Alabama’s biggest universities – The University of Alabama and Auburn University – and others have raised the alarm about donors contributing substantial sums, only to have those funds used to prioritize diversity politics over academic rigor. These donations are not funding scholarships, better facilities, or research opportunities. Instead, they are funding positions that apparently have little to do with actual teaching or meaningful academic advancement. Positions such as these, which focus on expertise in “queer, trans, [and] antiracist rhetorics” and hiring practices that prioritize “drag queens” as instructors for students with learning differences, raise serious concerns.
Are these really the positions we should be filling at our institutions of higher learning? Is it in the best interest of students to have faculty members focused primarily on political correctness and identity-based ideologies rather than educational excellence? How is this serving the students who need concrete skills and knowledge to succeed in a competitive world?
It’s hard not to see this as a misguided attempt to turn our universities into social engineering labs instead of centers of intellectual growth. Students with learning differences deserve teachers who are well-equipped to help them succeed academically, not individuals hired because of their ability to push a specific social narrative. If donors are financing these positions, are they enabling a dangerous shift in education? Are they part of the problem?
Colleges should be places where ideas are challenged, where diverse perspectives are explored, and where critical thinking is cultivated – not environments where ideological conformity is imposed. We should be encouraging students to engage with a wide range of viewpoints, to question everything, and to learn how to think, not what to think.
As donors, we have a responsibility to ask the tough questions: How is our money being used? Are we truly supporting the university’s mission, or are we unknowingly contributing to the erosion of an education system that prioritizes political correctness over academic integrity?
The students we’re supposed to be helping deserve better. They need leaders, not ideologues. They need educators who are trained to teach, not individuals who see the classroom as a platform for social activism. Parents and donors must hold universities accountable for where their money is going and demand that their funds be used to enhance education – not to promote narrow political agendas that divide rather than unite.
The solution is clear: If you don’t want your donations to be used to perpetuate this “woke” agenda, pull your funding. Let universities know that you are no longer willing to support an education system that prioritizes identity politics over academic excellence.
We must protect our children, protect their future, and protect the integrity of our education system. It is already sad and disheartening to know that these things are happening at an even earlier age, but to know that they continue when they are at a critical age of decision-making is downright unacceptable.
Higher education should be about helping students become the leaders of tomorrow, not indoctrinating them into a narrow ideological worldview.
Ashley Carter is a wife, mother, and grandmother living in Elmore County, where she and her husband run Farm to Table Living and Carter Farms. Ashley serves as Controller and Executive Assistant at 1819 News. She is currently working on an inspirational book of short stories. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email ashley.carter@1819news.com.
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