App State is in the news again ...

... though in this case it is definitely not positive. The National Review's education blog has this entry quoting one of my colleagues, one who sends me countless e-mails about the Women's Studies program here:

Of course, one of the topics was the conservative assault on women's-studies departments. They handed out free copies of Ms. magazine, which included an article by Martha McCaughey, director of the women's-studies program at Appalachian State University. She is writing a book called Sexy Knowledge. Her article, "Academic Freedom: The Right-Wing Campaign Against Women's Studies," turns a treasured ideal on its head. She wrote:

But women's studies is also under fire today by well-funded watch groups, which hold conferences, host blogs and disseminate slick 'research' that many scholars consider shoddy. They call on their members to join in letter-writing campaigns, litigation procedures and legislation designed to undermine the academic programs they find threatening.

I wonder whose research is more "shoddy" — that of women's-studies departments or that of their challengers?

I think it is safe to say that Nat'l Rev is no friend to Women's Studies.