Against Post-Election Infantilizing

Faculty should be role models for our students, not nannies, guidance counselors, or co-mourners. -Mark McNeilly

• After the 2016 election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, many faculty at universities canceled classes...
• Other professors took class time to allow students to “process their feelings” and deal with what was perceived as a devastating event for all on campus.
• In 2024, some faculty followed the same playbook at universities such as Harvard, Michigan State, and UPenn, among other institutions, by canceling classes or using class time to deal with anticipated student emotions. 

This was a mistake for a number of reasons....
Myth I: Every student in their class is devastated by the results of the election. Given that Harris lost much of the youth vote (18-29 age range) compared to Biden in 2020 and beat Trump only 52 percent to 46 percent, this is a faulty belief...

Myth II: Students who were disappointed with Trump winning are not mature enough to deal with losing an election...