LSU’s Feb. 2011 announcement of the AAA’s findings, which included …

Comment on LSU Board says ‘we apologize’ by Shane Hilde.

LSU’s Feb. 2011 announcement of the AAA’s findings, which included the names of the visiting team’s names, disappeared from LSU’s website just prior to the release of the memorandum and open letter.

I wonder why Wisbey published the AAA findings, along with the visiting team’s names, and then, without explanation, abruptly pulled the report from LSU’s website when the committee’s memorandum was published.

Shane Hilde Also Commented

LSU Board says ‘we apologize’

It appears that most of the changes are superficial. Why? Where is the evidence that something is being changed in the classroom? What’s happening to the curriculum?

The survey is a joke. I’d like to know how many students actually took general biology or were biology majors in the last 4 years. I bet it was more than 400.

I’ve done some digging around LaSierra.edu and found out they don’t have that many graduating biology majors. I think the average is around 26.

I’m retracting my earlier comment about the number of students who tool general biology. There are other GE science classes available, so not every student ends up taking this class.

I do have questions about how representative the survey is the biology students.

For example, take question number 8 which asks, “The Seventh-day Adventist view of creation was presented in biology classes.” Fifty-percent agreed, and 44% were neutral or disagreed. We have no idea what non-respondents would have answered. In other words, we don’t know how the other 278 students who didn’t respond would have answered. So only 46 (12% of students surveyed) students over the last four years plus 2000 agreed the Seventh-day Adventist view of creation was presented in biology classes.

They tried. Aren’t there more accurate assessments of what students have learned than a survey?


LSU Board says ‘we apologize’
It appears that most of the changes are superficial. Why? Where is the evidence that something is being changed in the classroom? What’s happening to the curriculum?

The survey is a joke. I’d like to know how many students actually took general biology or were biology majors in the last 4 years. I bet it was more than 400.


Recent Comments by Shane Hilde

La Sierra University Hires Another Darwinist
ADvindicate has also published an article about LSU and Raul Diaz that expands on a few details.

http://advindicate.com/?p=2625


A little-known history about Belief 6
@Eddie: The Bible does not specify an age of accountability (to my knowledge), but the Israelites considered the age of 12 to be the turning point. I wouldn’t base a theology off of tradition though. Also, it’s not our place to judge what happens to those who have not been able to make a decision.


Perspectives from alleged LSU students
@Blodgett: Was there a comment you’d like to add?


At La Sierra, Biology Faculty Affirms Importance of Teaching About Creation in Curriculum
@David Read: And perhaps not something Christ would do. I can understand your frustration though. I’ve been on the verge of quitting this whole thing many times. I’ve been guilty of letting that frustration control and influence things I shouldn’t have said.

I have to remind myself to look at the big picture. In the end all those who are not supposed to be in the church will be sifted out. I pray I am not one of them.


Board of Trustees Addresses Curriculum Proposal
I know from talking to a couple of reporters from Press Enterprise and Inside Higher Ed that Randal Wisbey was effective in shutting down communication between any outsiders and the biology faculty. It appears he made himself the only channel of communication between the board and biology faculty.

I emailed Larry Becker about what bylaw the board members broke that was worthy of dismissal, and I have yet to hear a response from him.

I would also note that board members at other universities appear to be free to talk to the faculty.

Another interesting point. He removes three board members for trying to work on the problem and come up with a solution, and then turns around sort of embraces what they’re doing. He can’t publicly condemn it because everyone can see, whether you agree with what they wrote or not, that it’s a significant step for the faculty to be speaking to the church.

Did he forbid the document from being published? No. If you’re really excited about seeing the biology department making advancements in solving the issue, why are you removing the people who are making that happen. He never did anything like that.

What has Wisbey done to address and fix this issue? Nothing. He’s dragged it out, lied about what’s been happening, and told everyone involved to shut up or get in trouble. What on earth is he trying to do?

Who knows, he might even be a part of the underground movement to sever LSU from the church by using WASC as the big hammer. It’s obvious from one former board member, there was interest in using WASC to manipulate the situation.