D'Souza on Intellectual Diversity...

Dinesh D'Souza paid a visit to his old alma mater, Dartmouth, yesterday, and was interviewed by the conservative student newspaper.

When asked about affirmative action in higher education, D'Souza said the more effective way to achieve diversity is to improve minorities' high school education rather than operate a two-track system that admits lesser-qualified minority candidates. Referring to black and Hispanic students at Dartmouth, D'Souza said, "on average they're competitively outmatched."

Political correctness, D'Souza said, is the "impoverishment of academia." He claims it stifles the free exchange of legitimate ideas, specifically those dealing with race and affirmative action.

D'Souza decried the lack of ideological diversity among Dartmouth professors, a group he categorized as less ideologically diverse than students.

"[Darmouth] needs intellectual diversity. You have these big debates going on in Washington that are going on all over the world about economic policy and foreign policy, and the typical Dartmouth student should know both sides -- not just a liberal giving you his ventriloquist version of the conservative position, but rather both sides arguing it out."