The University of South Carolina has ignored a state requirement to teach a course on the U.S. Constitution, instead favoring classes on tailgate cuisine and belly dancing.
According to a report by Campus Reform, the University of South Carolina is ignoring a state law that requires public universities in South Carolina to offer a course on the Constitution. To make matters worse, the University of South Carolina is home to some unusual courses.
The University offers an anthropology course on drinking culture, a course on jewelry making, a course on comic books, a course on football tailgating cuisine, and a course for those who wish to learn the art of belly dancing. Missing from the University of South Carolina’s course catalog is the state-required-course on the U.S. Constitution.
The University of South Carolina admitted earlier this year that it does not offer the year-long course on America’s founding documents, which is required for public universities under the law. A university official argued that other university courses that touch upon American history cover the ground that the state law demands the university cover.
Peter Wood, president of the National Association of Scholars, told Campus Reform that the University of South Carolina offers several worthless courses. “The University of South Carolina offers a fair number of intellectually frivolous courses, some of them meant to appeal to students who do not take academic life very seriously. That is a shame for them, their parents, and the taxpayers who subsidize the university,” Wood said.
“Of course, such mindless courses are pretty common in colleges and universities today, which need to provide fodder for students who are just passing time. The state-mandated courses on the Constitution would better serve the students at USC, but they lack the fun-loving spirit of courses on Tailgating, Sociology of the Paranormal, and Beginning Belly Dancing,” Wood added.