Columbia’s About-Face

Columbia University has yanked a promotion for a Department of Homeland Security-affiliated virtual career expo after faculty members threw a tantrum, claiming the event was somehow endorsing ‘authoritarianism’. The expo, scheduled for February 18, was supposed to be a chance for students to chat with recruiters about careers in federal law enforcement. But a group of unnamed faculty members got their undies in a twist, arguing that promoting the event made them feel all icky and ‘targeted’.

A Question of Choice

It’s pretty rich, considering these are the same people who claim to be all about ‘choice’. But when it comes to giving students the option to explore careers in law enforcement, suddenly they’re all about censorship. As retired schoolteacher Rich Candia put it, ‘This is quite hypocritical because the schools promote ‘choice’ but they are denying choice when they hinder the posting of such employment’.

The University’s Response

Columbia’s officials tried to do some damage control, saying the listing wasn’t an endorsement of the event and that the university doesn’t control the employers on the 12twenty platform. But the damage was done. The Career Design Lab website will now only highlight events organized by the School of Professional Studies, and students will have to dig a little deeper to find those ‘controversial’ federal job listings.