University hires radical leftist Noam Chomsky to teach politics

Cory ComptonMichigan Campus CorrespondentToday at 9:22 AM EDT

Noam Chomsky,a radical leftist professor who has previously expressed support for the terrorist group Hezbollah, will earn $62,500 to teach a course on politics at the University of Arizona.

Chomsky's $250,000 annualized salary dwarfs the compensation offered to other UA faculty members, according to Judicial Watch, which notes that the average engineering professor at UA earns only about $80,000.

UPDATE: This article has been updated to reflect that Chomsky was only hired on a part-time basis, and therefore will only receive 1/4 of his $250,000 annualized salary, or $62,500

Image via Flickr (Andrew Rusk; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode)

Anarcho-syndicalist Noam Chomsky will earn a $62,500 salary to teach a general education course for undergraduates titled “What is Politics?” next spring at the University of Arizona.

According to an announcement from UA, Chomsky—a famous leftist linguist, self-described anarcho-syndicalist, and open supporter of the terrorist organization Hezbollah—is regarded as a “world-renowned linguist” and one of the most “cited scholars in modern history.”

"World-renowned linguist Noam Chomsky, one of the most cited scholars in modern history, is starting to be a familiar face on the University of Arizona campus."   Tweet This

The “What is Politics?” course will explore “issues in contemporary political analysis, human values and political goals, how governments differ and why they change, [and] how nations differ from one another,” according to the course description.

[RELATED: Chomsky claims GOP, Christianity trying to 'destroy the world']

According to records obtained by Judicial Watch, Chomsky was originally a guest lecturer at UA for several years before being hired as a consultant for a politics class where he lectured six times and received an average payment of $10,000 per lecture.

UA has now hired Chomsky to teach from 2017 to 2020 at an annualized salary of $250,000, albeit at a rate of only 25 percent of full-time equivalent (FTE), meaning Chomsky will actually earn $62,500 per year.

Chomsky’s annualized salary dwarfs those of other UA faculty members, Judicial Watch notes, pointing out that a full-time engineering professor at UA receives an average salary of $80,000. 

[RELATED: Rutgers hires war crime ‘apologist’ to teach international law]

Bevan Olyphant, a former Green Beret who taught a leadership class in the honors program at UA, was reportedly only paid $1,500 a semester. Olyphant told Judicial Watch that his request to bring in conservative speakers was denied after the UA president told him “We can’t do that! We would have a riot.” 

Judicial Watch has also requested the records of UA’s contracts with other lecturers, none of whom appear to be conservative.

UPDATE: UA Vice President of Communications Chris Sigurdson provided Campus Reform with a statement clarifying that the original salary figures reported by Judicial Watch did not account for Chomsky's 25 percent of FTE pay rate, thereby inflating the figures fourfold. He also noted that the entirety of Chomsky's salary is funded through private donations. This article has been corrected accordingly.

"Noam Chomsky is a part-time employee and he is paid $62,500 per year to teach several classes and to advise and work with graduate students. All of his salary is covered by private donations," Sigurdson explained, adding that "was employed at a FTE of .25, which means he had a 25 percent position, which equals $62,500."

Sigurdson also disputed the notion that UA is not open to hosting conservative speakers, saying, "We regularly feature events which feature a diversity of speakers and political thought including Charles Murray and Dinesh D’ Souza just last semester. David French, senior writer for the National Review, and Matt Miller of the Goldwater Institute will be speaking here in September."