Trigger Warnings: Are We Asking Too Much of Faculty and Too Little of Students?

Professors say college students need to keep an open mind about disturbing or unfamiliar academic material. by Joseph Williams Proponents say they’re creating safe spaces for sexual assault victims, combat veterans, or other college students who have experienced trauma or violence. Experts say they’re well intentioned but doing more harm than good, working against the very idea of higher education: acquiring knowledge and learning how to think critically. In the latest part of a fast-growing trend, the student body president at American University in Washington, D.C., is demanding that faculty issue trigger warnings to students ahead of disturbing lessons, readings, or classroom discussions. […]