Challenge to Academic Freedom Bypasses Middlebury

Author: Claire Bourne News Editor

Since Sept. 11 Middlebury College professors, as well as faculty members from institutions of higher education across the country, have utilized class time to discuss issues related to the terrorist attacks. Some have simply touched upon these topics in class discussion while others have modified syllabi to accommodate subject matter relevant to both current events and the focus of their classes.

However, at a time when almost everyone has an opinion about stateside and overseas repercussions, the media has shed light on the right to free speech especially in college and university classrooms. Most notably, incidents at several colleges and universities across the nation have raised questions about the extent to which free speech should be exercised in an academic atmosphere.

An article by Robin Wilson and Ana Marie Cox published in the Oct. 5 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education summarized this phenomenon. "The death of thousands and the worldwide crisis of conscience that followed have left emotions so raw that people are struggling to think critically about what happened — and some administrators would prefer that professors not even try," Wilson and Cox wrote.

Despite what some are calling a national trend toward a restriction of free speech in the classroom, academic freedom remains unmenaced at Middlebury.

Dean of the Faculty Robert Schine said that neither he nor any other member of the administration has discussed how to address the presentation of these topics in the classroom with faculty. In fact, professors have been encouraged by administrators to discuss the events of and following Sept. 11 with students in class settings and beyond, he continued.



Free Speech Challenged



The Chronicle of Higher Education article highlighted several cases in which professors' free speech had been challenged.

For instance, a day after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Robert Jensen, a professor of journalism at the University of Texas at Austin, submitted an opinions article to The Houston Chronicle in which he called the acts "reprehensible" but went on to say that "the United States might have prompted them," The Chronicle of Higher Education reported.

Shortly after the article's publication, the university's president Larry R. Faulkner received a number of phone calls and e-mail messages demanding Jensen's immediate dismissal. In a letter to The Houston Chronicle Faulkner called the professor "misguided" and "a fountain of undiluted foolishness." When asked by The Chronicle of Higher Education to comment on the situation, Faulkner said that Jensen "[added] right away to the wounds of a people who [had] just suffered a massive attack."

Similarly, at the University of New Mexico, Professor Richard Berthold told his class that "anyone who can blow up the Pentagon gets my vote," reported Wilson and Cox. Berthold subsequently admitted that his joke was "stupid." Nevertheless alumni and lawmakers are calling for the University to fire Berthold.

These are only two among many cases in recent weeks in which free speech has been called into question.



The History of Free Speech



Visiting Instructor in American Civilization Chris Capozzola, whose research focuses on freedom of speech in academic institutions during times of war, noted that academic freedom is taken for granted today.

According to Capozzola, the question of academic freedom dates back to the nineteenth century when many colleges and universities were strongly influenced by financial donors or religious affiliation. "The first battles were about religion," he noted. More specifically, controversies centered on whether a professor could practice a different religion from that of the institution or practice no religion at all and still teach there.

The debate turned political in the early twentieth century when some professors began to openly express support for socialism and labor unions. Many lost their teaching positions and were publicly censored, Capozzola explained.

With nowhere else to turn, professors looked to each other, and in 1915 the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) was founded. Capozzola elucidated that the AAUP "advocated for professors when universities turned against them."

On the heels of the AAUP's creation, World War I was "a real test for universities in general," he continued. The organization, however, was unable to fully achieve its goal of protecting academic freedom since most professors supported the war effort. In addition the AAUP was so interested in religion and politics that it "didn't do much to help professors who opposed the war," he said.

The AAUP grew stronger in subsequent years, encountering one of its greatest challenges during the Cold War. Even though the organization was opposed to communism, it held true to its mission and defended those professors who supported this political ideology.



The Value of Academic Freedom



"Since Vietnam, people have become more comfortable with there being a blurry line between teaching and political advocacy," Capozzola explained. "Professors have to play the role of expert, but they are also ordinary citizens." He added that they have to balance their rights as individuals with their obligation to the college or university where they work.

Visiting Instructor in Sociology Michael Sheridan said that free speech in academic institutions was "invaluable."

"One of the purposes of a liberal arts education is to learn how to practice good citizenship," he remarked. "Using free speech to express dissent is the key to empowering individuals to make a difference in our struggle to make American practices come up to our ideals."

Schine seconded Sheridan's assertion stating that freedom of speech for both students and faculty is "the principle on which academic institutions are based."

Assistant Professor of Sociology Dwight Fee talked about the events of Sept. 11 in his gender studies class shortly after the attacks. "I wanted to at least bring up the gendered dimensions of terrorism," he said. "I thought it was important at the time to do so."

Though he did not express his opinion about the events at the time, he said that the professor's role in discussions such as this should be to "help students think critically." He added, "Expressing one's own [i.e. the professor's] viewpoint in class can certainly be part of the process."

Professor of Political Science David Rosenberg commented that free speech should "be limited only by mutual respect and civility," adding that freedom of expression at institutions of higher learning is "the cardinal value."

"[Professors] should provide a forum to facilitate discussion, compare and analyze information and evaluate possible responses," he affirmed. "We have a responsibility to provide opportunities for informed, honest, productive discussions and understanding of what we should do."

Edward Knox, director of the Center for International Affairs and professor of French, commented, "It is very difficult for an instructor to express his or her opinion in class without putting pressure on students to value or appear to value that opinion more than they might otherwise do."

He added that freedom of expression "carries responsibilities" in that an instructor should be careful not to "abuse his or her authority in terms of subjects broached and even more in terms of how subjects are dealt with."

Schine said curricular concerns were at the center of this discussion. "We should have a curriculum that gives students forums to deepen understanding of the Middle East, terrorism, asymmetrical warfare and other related issues," he elucidated.

He mentioned that Secretary of
the College and Professor of Political Science Eric Davis was developing a First-year Seminar course for next fall focused solely on Sept. 11 and its effects.