Specifically, the Port Huron Statement criticizes professors for their detachment from the real world and their failure to address pressing social issues:
- "The university is often isolated from the main currents of thought and life. Professors and students become less and less aware of the vital concerns of humanity."
- "The curriculum is narrow and sterile, unrelated to the living world."
- "The methods of teaching are stultifying and irrelevant, failing to stimulate the creative potential of the students."
The statement argues that professors should be more engaged with the struggles for civil rights, peace, and social justice, and should use their knowledge and expertise to challenge the status quo. It calls for a more democratic and participatory form of education, where students have a greater voice in shaping the curriculum and the direction of their studies.
Overall, the Port Huron Statement reflects a deep sense of disillusionment with the traditional academic establishment and a desire for a more radical and transformative approach to education.