Don't question authority at UW-LaCrosse

Via the Phi Beta Con blog at National Review Online from NoIndococtrination.org, there is apparently more nonsense in the UW system. In response to a students' complaint that the readings for a course on management were skewed to the left, Professor John Betton responded:

I get really tired of right wing stuff. Surely you get enough of it. Do you ask for additional readings in your right wing classes. Obviously not. I resent your insulting assumption that you have the right to teach my class or that students are not familiar with right wing racist crap on immigration. Of course they are. My course is not being taught to reinforce right wing ideology. Don't you get enough of this in other classes, or do you need EVERY class to be consistent with extremist views.

The student who reports this incident hastens to add that he does not believe that he was penalized for complaining. Still, the presumption that there are "right-wing" and "left-wing" courses is troubling. I have taught some classes that address very controversial issues about which I have very strong and definite views. I have generally been upfront about what I think but it would never occur to me that 1) I did not have an obligation to thoroughly and fairly present the responsible opposition (and there almost always is one) - however much I may think it is "crap," and 2) that I should not make clear to students that there are no points to be gained by agreeing with me and none to be lost by disagreeing. If I failed to do these things, it would be because I did not accomplish what I set out to do, not because I wanted to teach my views.