Critics say several Stanford courses that satisfy the university's writing and rhetoric requirement emphasize identity-focused and cultural topics rather than fundamentals of writing and communication. Course descriptions cited include "Language, Identity, and Power," a class that covers an all-male drag ballet troupe, and "The Rhetoric of Bearing Witness," which references George Floyd and other high-profile events. Defending Education says these offerings indicate a broader problem with prioritizing ideology over rigorous pedagogy. Stanford did not respond to requests for comment.
Stanford's Writing Requirement Under Fire: Critics Say Courses Prioritize Ideology Over Core Skills
Stanford writing program accused of prioritizing ideology over core skills: 'Nonsense'
Critics are questioning whether some courses that satisfy Stanford University's undergraduate writing and rhetoric requirement place greater emphasis on ideological themes and cultural topics than on fundamental writing and communication skills.
The Stanford University campus
The writing and rhetoric requirement at Stanford is intended to teach critical thinking, research methods and persuasive writing. However, several courses that fulfill the requirement have attracted scrutiny for their subject matter and assigned readings.
Hundreds protest outside a rally held by President Donald Trump at Macomb County Community College in Warren, Mich., April 29, 2025.
Course descriptions cited by critics include:
A map is posted on the Stanford University campus March 28, 2025, in Stanford, Calif.
- "Language, Identity, and Power" — Students are asked to "explore this intersection across spheres such as politics, education, medicine, and media spaces, intertwined with forces like globalization, immigration, and the rapid development of new technologies," according to Stanford's course listing.
- "Our Future Is Each Other: Collaborative Rhetorics" — The syllabus includes an essay on the all-male ballet drag troupe Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and frames the material as a way to "engage with a diversity of cultural practices and rhetoric."
- "The Rhetoric of Bearing Witness" — Course materials reference the murder of George Floyd and stress the importance of documenting eyewitness accounts "whether in Gaza, from Holocaust survivors, or when ICE raids destabilize communities."
"It seems Stanford is joining many of its sister Ivies in taking the dumb way out: swapping rigorous pedagogy for social experimentation and a misplaced emphasis on identity politics and progressive pandering," said Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president of Defending Education, in comments to Fox News Digital.
Defending Education, an education-transparency organization, says the course selections signal a need to revisit higher-education writing requirements nationwide to ensure they emphasize core communication competencies.
Reagan Dugan, project manager for higher education at Defending Education, told Fox News Digital that "Stanford's insistence on prioritizing race, sexuality and other nonsense over the nuts and bolts of communication in their writing and rhetoric requirements only serves to harm their students."
Fox News Digital contacted Stanford University for comment but had not received a response at the time of reporting.
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