Academic freedom. Freedom of inquiry. Free speech. That’s what Stuart Reges (photo, left), a University of Washington computer science professor, and the public interest law firm representing him, thought they were defending when he sued UW in federal court after administrators sought to punis[...]
Posts Tagged ‘academic freedom’
When Republicans take over higher education
New College in Sarasota, Florida, is part of Florida’s public university system. It has no fraternities or football team, but as Florida’s designated honors college, pumps out Fulbright scholars. It’s “a haven for brainy kids who are high-achieving and intellectually curious,” but may not [...]
August 14th, 2022 - 11:55 am § in Politics, Schools & Colleges
Why Yale and Harvard should cancel DeSantis’ degrees
Let’s be clear: Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, who wants to be president, isn’t just banning rainbows from elementary school classrooms, ostensibly to protect little kids from homosexual influences. He’s also meddling in what can be taught in Florida public universities, determined[...]
Should academic freedom protect racists?
The U. of Penn law school shouldn’t fire Professor Amy Wax because of her political views. That ought to be a given. But Wax (photo, right) has for years publicly bashed immigrants and minorities (see story here and details here), and no minority student paying law school tuition should be for[...]
October 19th, 2021 - 8:43 pm § in Schools & Colleges
Is this really about academic freedom?
I don’t know exactly how to write about this. I previously wrote here about the purpose of a college education (“learn how to think”), and here about whether a professor calling a trans student “Mister” in the classroom is an exercise of academic freedom (no, it’s[...]
May 23rd, 2019 - 9:13 am § in Donald Trump, Hypocrisy
IS THIS TRUMP’S DEFINITION OF A TERRORIST?
(Various sources, AFP, Farsi News, Law.com) The US has detained a well respected Iranian scientist for nearly seven months for allegedly attempting to ship growth hormones. Professor Masoud Soleimani had been invited to meet at the Mayo Clinic. The US canceled his research visa while he was alre[...]
Has the University of Washington Abandoned Tenure?
Does the UW still have tenure? When I became tenured, the code and state law described tenure in terms of a life long commitment to a position and a salary. The commitment was defined in terms of an academic year of 9 or 12 months. For either period, the UW and the state were committed [&h[...]
October 21st, 2018 - 1:00 am § in Uncategorized
Freedom of speech is not an academic value.
Whether it is a department, a college, a dean, a provost, a learned-journal editor, it is the business of the university to silence voices, not to license them indifferently. Like everyone else these days, I’ve been reading and thinking about what’s happening on campuses when invited speakers ar[...]
October 11th, 2018 - 9:55 am § in Foreign Affairs, Hypocrisy
University of Michigan Censors Faculty For Free Speech on Palestine
UM to evaluate faculty duties to students after Israel letter controversy Kim Kozlowski, The Detroit News (Photo: University of Michigan) In the wake of controversies that have touched University of Michigan Jewish students, President Mark Schlissel published an open letter to the community on Wedn[...]
Are Public Universities for Sale?
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s largest public university granted the conservative Charles Koch Foundation a say in the hiring and firing of professors in exchange for millions of dollars in donations, according to newly released documents. The release of donor agreements between George Mason[...]