It has been remarked that the premier problem with education in the last 30 years has been a precipitous decline in standards. Indeed, far too many of today's professors not only feel the old standards were too high, but deny the validity of standards in general. Add to this a rampant politicization, a disregard for reason and a taste for shouting down opposing viewpoints, and you get a good picture of higher education in America today. Free and open discourse based on reason and logic is out; radical-chi c PC censorship is in.

Fortunately for those who believe in high standards and rigorous thought, there is a national organization, with an Arizona affiliate, dedicated to their promotion. As a public service announcement, I give you the National Association of Scholars.

To quote the promotional brochure, "[the NAS] is an organization of professors, graduate students, and college administrators committed to rational discourse as the foundation of academic life in a free and democratic society." (Rational discourse. Imagin e. How revolutionary.)

The brochure lists nine main goals: to enhance the quality and content of the curriculum; to resist the ideological misuse of teaching and scholarship; to maintain rigorous standards in research, teaching and academic self-governance; to provide informed comment on issues and trends in higher education; to encourage intellectual balance and realism in campus debate on contemporary issues; to preserve academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas on and off the campus; to create professional forums in wh ich curriculum issues can be discussed in a responsible and sophisticated way; to build an academic leadership dedicated to the ideal of reasoned scholarship; to recall higher education to its classic function of grounding students in the rich heritage of their civilization.

That says it all, really. There are subsidiary issues, such as the ideal of civility in public discourse, but these points tell the essential story. I should point out that the NAS is neither liberal nor conservative, neither Republican nor Democrat. It a nd the Arizona Association of Scholars welcome all members who support the above principles.

"Wow!" you may be thinking. "How do I get involved?" If you're a faculty member, an administrator, or a grad student, you can join us. Simply call the president of the Arizona Association of Scholars, Professor John McElroy, Dept. of English, at 621-1836.

For undergrads, sadly, membership is not an option. But one way to foster open discussion of important contemporary issues is to invite distinguished speakers to campus, which is precisely what we have done. On Tuesday, March 19th (after Spring Break), at 2 p.m. in Room 256 of the Student Union, Dr. Thomas E. Wood will give a talk entitled, "Affirmative Action in Higher Education: Does It Have A Future?"

A specialist in comparative philosophy and the philosophy of language, Dr. Wood is the author of three books on Asian philosophies. He is also the executive director of the California Association of Scholars, which is officially "opposed to quotas and oth er numerical formulas based on race, sex, or ethnicity as divisive and inequitable strategies for faculty recruitment and student admissions." I am confident that Dr. Wood's presentation will be an informative, challenging contribution to a crucial public discourse, and I urge all interested parties to come and hear Dr. Wood in the spirit of civility, open-mindedness and rational discussion.

But do note those last three nouns. I cannot speak for the Arizona Association of Scholars officially. I am only one member and only a grad student at that. What I can tell you is why I joined.

I joined so that no professor would be fired for an unproven "sexual harassment" charge. I joined so that no race would go to the bottom of the admissions pile. I joined so that no affirmative action office could force an entire Physics Department to atte nd "sensitivity training" because of one humorous flier (hats off to Peter Carruthers for stopping this in 1992). I joined so that no college would give everyone A's in the name of "self-esteem." I joined so that no deconstructionist could say, "There is no truth or meaning," and stifle those who disagree.

There are many other reasons. But perhaps first among them is that I believe with all my heart that we can find the truth, and that free, open and civil discourse based on reason must be at the core of higher education. If you agree, I hope you will call Professor McElroy. I hope you will get involved in this new movement for academic reform. And Tuesday at Dr. Wood's talk, I hope to see you there.

John Keisling maintains high academic standards; just ask his students. He is a math Ph.D. candidate whose column appears Wednesdays.