Academics
After Backlash, California University Changes Name of ‘Trump Impeachment’ Class
San Diego State University amends its highly controversial course title after public outrage but sticks with its course curriculum
San Diego State University amended the controversial title of an upcoming course that insinuates the impeachment of President Trump after a public backlash on Wednesday.
The university’s one unit course, formerly titled “Trump: Impeachment, Removal, or Conviction?”, will now exclude “Trump” from its title. The course’s curriculum, taught by Professor John Joseph Clearly, will survey past impeachments in the United States to better understand the constitutional mechanisms for dismissing a president and the presidential immunity.
The mandatory textbook for the class is Allan J. Litchman’s “The Case for Impeachment”, which explores the various contexts under which President Trump could possibly be ousted from his presidential position. Litchman, a former congressman and history professor at the American University, has had a winning streak of astutely determining the president-elect of every election since 1984. He had anticipated Trump’s presidential victory late 2016.
San Diego State had initially refuted claims that the seminar revolved around Trump. Brandon Jones, Chairman of the university’s College Republican student organization, insisted on Fox News Wednesday that the university’s administration was penetrating an explicitly liberal message that declared President Trump guilty of allegedly violating the Constitution. “It’s very clear what the message is this course is sending, and if you look at the required textbook, it was written by a liberal nutjob”
The course will be offered through the Criminal Justice program in March at the university’s College of Extended Studies where the seminar will be open to the public. SDSU students are welcome to enroll in the class as an elective, although it is not required for graduation.
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