Ben Sasse is a former Republican US Senator from Nebraska who left the Senate to take a job running the University of Florida. He resigned his position at the university a few weeks ago. The reason he publicly floated was some health concerns his wife was experiencing. However, I have heard from those with inside knowledge that he left because of all the difficulties and resistance he faced from the faculty body at the university.
The faculty at major universities wield a great deal of power. This is because the accreditation bodies to which these universities are subject grant them this power. For conservative-inclined reformers particularly within university systems, this can create an enormous obstacle.
This week, Lee Roberts was chosen to become the new chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill. He became widely known when he took a bold stand in favor of protecting the American flag against the Palestinian-aligned protesters at the university earlier this year.
This action as interim chancellor was deeply symbolic. He was not only protecting the flag. But he was also opposing the Palestinian protest movement which is an alliance of American Muslims and far-left political activists.
Does this mean Roberts will be equally bold opposing the left within the university? While this is very much needed, it is too early to tell. First, we don’t really know Roberts’ entire worldview, and therefore don’t know how much he would even be inclined to fix.
But we must also look to the experience of Ben Sasse in Florida. Opposing the left in the university setting means cutting through enormous institutional barriers and the demonic web that the left has spun in this environment. It’s not impossible, but it would require considerable determination. We will see the stuff of which Roberts is made in due course.