more on Andrew Greeley: Academic Freedom -- What Good Is It?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

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From: "John F. McMullen" <observer () westnet com>
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 23:53:08 -0500 (EST)
To: johnmac's living room <johnmacsgroup () yahoogroups com>
Cc: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>, Commonweal Mailing List
<commonweal () yahoogroups com>
Subject: Andrew Greeley: Academic Freedom -- What Good Is It?

Academic Freedom -- What Good Is It?
by Andrew M. Greeley

Professor Ward Churchill, who teaches "ethnic studies" at the
University of Colorado, is in deep trouble with the Regents
and the Governor of the State for an essay he wrote on the
September 11 disaster in which he suggested, among other
things, that those who died were "Little Eichmans", men and
women responsible for a holocaust. His point was that American
capitalism is responsible for the death of millions of people.
The essay was off-the-wall, over-the-top, and around-the-bend
-- which is apparently Professor Churchill's way of making a
point.

He will be roadkill at Colorado, though his opinions violate
no law. In the temper of the times, Professor Churchill is not
a "patriot" and must lose the academic freedom to express his
opinions, a right which exists to permit scholars to do their
research without fear of the unpopularity of their conclusions
or their personal opinions.  I suspect, however, that academic
freedom and the tenure process which reinforces it (if in fact
it does not create it!)  exist in reality to protect
professors from other professors in the constant internecine
ideological conflicts that are part of life in many academic
professions.

The issue in the Churchill case ought not to be freedom of
speech beyond the walls of the university or even in faculty
lounges. The issue is rather whether he used the classroom as
a platform for expressing opinions which go beyond the subject
matter of his instruction. Even in so problematic a field as
ethnic studies, some of his assertion that Columbus Day
celebrates genocide would exceed the subject matter. However,
there is nothing in the reports of his alleged offenses that
suggests he browbeat students with his ideas. If he did that
he does not belong in a university community

By way of illustration of the issue, in the sociology course I
teach on God in the Movies, I have no right to campaign for
belief in the existence of God, or to attack the belief of
evangelical Christians in the literal interpretation of the
book of Genesis, subjects which go beyond the boundaries of
sociology. The students know who and what I am and what I
believe, but implicit in the discussion about, let us say,
whether Audrey Hepburn in the film "Always" is a good metaphor
for God, is the phrase "God,if there be one". If I went beyond
that I don't belong in the classroom. On the other hand if I
were teaching biology, I could reject creationism or if I were
teaching biblical literature I could reject Genesis as a book
of science.

Class is not for personal opinion but for subject matter,
presented honestly and professionally. If someone wants to go
after me because I see metaphors for God in the movies (and in
the wonderful TV series "Joan of Arcadia") than they are
violating my academic freedom. Without fear of censorship, I
also must be free to disagree with students who don't think
that older women (like the late Ms. Hepburn) can be erotically
attractive -- which is not just a personal opinion, but a
statistically demonstrated fact.  I have no right, however, to
speak on my political convictions -- save in an outside forum
like his column.

On the other hand when a dean at a certain university warned
me against wearing clerical garb in class he certainly was
attacking my academic freedom – even though I had no
intention of bringing the roman collar into class. These
nuances may appear unimportant, but they are in fact very
important. Some faculty -- not many --seem to think that it is
their duty to disabuse students of the convictions they bring
to the classroom, even if these convictions have nothing to do
with the subject matter they are teaching. This may be great
sport, but when it becomes habitual practice to sneer at
students, the offending professor should be warned, then
rebuked, then dismissed. Of course they're not sanctioned. No
one gets in trouble for making fun of religion.

At Columbia University no one gets in trouble any more for
anti-Semitism. No one anywhere gets in trouble for making fun
of Catholicism But at Colorado you can get in deep trouble if
you criticize American foreign policy in an article written
for publication.

Academic freedom protects professors from one another and from
yahoos outside the university (like regents) and it should
protect students from yahoo professors.

  "When you come to the fork in the road, take it" - L.P. Berra
    "Always make new mistakes" -- Esther Dyson
    "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
     -- Arthur C. Clarke
     "You Gotta Believe" - Frank "Tug" McGraw (1944 - 2004 RIP)

                           John F. McMullen
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