TJC Mention in The College Fix: ‘Woke’ Tour Guide Service Put on hold at UVA
Excerpt
The University of Virginia has paused its independent, student-run tour guide service after on-going criticism about its approach to the institution’s history.
The Jefferson Council, an alumni organization dedicated to preserving Thomas Jefferson’s legacy of freedom and excellence, took credit for the change.
Its members have expressed concerns for years about the University Guide Service not painting the school in a positive light to prospective students and families. Alumni accused the guides of “hat[ing] UVA” and pushing an “inflammatory” “political agenda” and “woke-ism” through their tours.
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Moving forward, university-employed interns will lead all campus tours, the Cavalier Daily student newspaper reports.
Neale at the Jefferson Council told The Fix he hopes it will stay that way. His organization has been expressing concerns with the independent tour guide program for years.
“We made the board aware of this three years ago,” Neale said. “And the former chair would say, ‘Oh I don’t believe you.’ So we sent him an audio recording.”
At the time, Neale said many board leaders were appointees of former Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam; since then, sitting Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has placed 13 of the 17 trustees on the board.
Now, “I’d say all but maybe 1, maybe 2 … think this is terrible,” Neale told The Fix.
One of the alumni group’s biggest concerns was the guides’ “contextualization” of university founder Thomas Jefferson, he said.
Colleen Dean is a College Fix contributor and a graduate student at Franciscan University of Steubenville, currently pursuing an MA in Catholic studies. She received her undergrad degree from Franciscan in political science with two minors in Spanish and human life studies. She has also written for Lone Conservative.