I’m a longtime member of the Liberal Arts Curriculum Committee at my university. This afternoon, during a meeting, the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice submitted a new course entitled “Actual Innocence & Wrongful Conviction.” The title disturbed me for two reasons. First, what is a wrongful conviction except a conviction of an innocent person? The course title should have been, simply, “Wrongful Conviction.” Second, even if the word “Innocence” were appropriate (for some reason I can’t discern), what role is played by the word “Actual”? Actual as opposed to what? Hypothetical? When I asked this question, the departmental representative replied that the implied contrast is to perceived or claimed innocence. The course, he said, is about people who Really Are Innocent, not people who are merely perceived to be innocent or who claim to be innocent. I still think the word “Actual” is inappropriate. Another course submitted by the department is entitled “Gangs.” Why not “Actual Gangs,” as opposed to merely perceived gangs or claimed gangs? Come to think of it, why don’t we append “Actual” to all course titles? “Actual Ethics.” “Actual Acting.” “Actual Abnormal Psychology.” “Actual Chemistry.”