Academic Freedom in the Wake of 9/11

As National AAUP reports, “The Association is keeping a close watch on the situation of Professor Sami Al-Arian, a tenured professor at the University of South Florida, who was placed on involuntary leave in September. On December 19, the president of the university, Judy Genshaft, met with the board of trustees, and then delivered a formal ‘notice of intent to dismiss’ to Al-Arian. President Genshaft has said that the action is related to public comments Al-Arian made on a Fox Television talk show, The O'Reilly Factor” (http://www.aaup.org/).  Professor Al-Arian has since been fired. 

What did happen on the O’Reilly Factor?  Salon.com states, “Host Bill O'Reilly revived inflammatory charges against Al-Arian dating back, in some cases, 15 years. Those charges were that a now-defunct Islamic think tank Al-Arian founded and ran in conjunction with [the University of South Florida,] operated as a sort of home away from home for radical Palestinians and terrorists. The charges had been thoroughly investigated and rejected by USF, and an immigration judge; the FBI has been looking for years and has never filed any charges” (http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/01/19/bubba/). 

This case is focusing national attention on the issue of academic freedom.  The University of South Florida has succumbed to what Salon.com called, “McCarthy-like smears” which generated a flurry of hate expressed in phone calls and e-mail, including threats of violence against the computer science professor.  Claiming Al-Arian was a risk to campus safety, he was dismissed by the USF president.  Salon.com holds the media partially responsible for whipping up a frenzy on this case. 

Regardless of the blame, Academic Freedom is at risk, most especially during difficult political times.  As National AAUP General Secretary Mary Burgan affirmed, “The faculty do not … have a single brain that renders a unified opinion on matters of public policy. We have, in our Congress, a Republican conservative former professor of economics who wants to drill for oil in the Arctic, and we have a liberal professor of physics who doesn't. Professors crowd our video screens with opposing opinions about the budget, genetic engineering, and cultures of the Middle East, and we seem to accept their diversity in times of peace. But in times of crisis, our tolerance of such diversity fades, and the words of any one faculty member may be taken to be the words of all. It is predictable that after we had passed through the initial phases of reaction to September 11, we should want more subtle analyses. And so the discourses of academics -- passionate as well as cool -- have commenced. And so have the voluble reactions of those who believe that thinking out loud in our colleges and universities is so subversive that it ought to be stopped, somehow. 

“A distrust of intellectuals has always lurked beneath the surface of American popular opinion. Now it has begun to leak out again--either through the frontal assault in the partial reporting by The New York Post of a forum at CUNY or the sideswipe at ‘campus teach-ins’ by a respected columnist like Tom Friedman, or by others such as John Leo. Such editorializing may be legitimate, but to demonize ‘the faculty’ is harmful. Further, there's a difference when the responses to faculty opinions come from those who have the power to retaliate. Ari Fleischer withdrew his ominous warning that public people should ‘watch what they say,’ because the government has the power to censor. Just so, the comments of some members of the Board of CUNY, and of its Chancellor, should also be rethought. These warnings have been accompanied by nods to academic freedom, but they still open the possibility of retaliation. 

“So, what do the faculty think? They think many things about September 11. Some of them died in the bombings; some lost loved ones. They disagree vociferously on ethics, strategy, causes, and effects. From my own informal survey, faculty opinion ranges from vengeful to conciliatory. That's why we cannot speak on the course of war or peace for ‘the faculty’ that we represent within the American Association of University Professors. But we can speak for faculty on one big thing -- the necessity, as patriots and professors, to think and express their views in freedom” (http://www.aaup.org/statements/9-11statements.htm).  --Katy Wiss v
 

Update on Contract “Negotiations”

The Board of Trustees of CSU has gone to the Labor Board to have several issues taken out of our contract.  These issues include concerns over workplace safety, affirmative action policies, mailbox security, and the part-time faculty percentage. 

This action means that despite many years of agreeing to talk about these issues, the BOT no longer wants to make a mutual agreement with the faculty in writing.  Of particular concern is the question of the number of part-time faculty who teach in the CSU system.  As of this writing the Labor Board has not ruled on these issues.  So we don’t yet know the status of that concern. 

If you feel strongly about the part-time cap or any other concern, we encourage you to send a letter to each member of the Board of Trustees and to your Connecticut state legislators. 

For a sample letter that you may adapt or use as is, visit our web site www.wcsu.edu/aaup.  There you will also find links to Board members' names and addresses, and to the Connecticut General Assembly home page, where you can find names and addresses for your state senator and representative. KW v
 

AAUP Continues to Try to Resolve Contractual Issues

While some of the issues we put on the table are being ruled on by the State Labor Board, several issues remain to be decided by an arbitrator.  In addition to monetary issues, AAUP and the BOT continue to disagree over significant points.  The BOT wants to introduce full-time non-tenured lines, take librarians and counselors out of the peer review process, and to add the Academic Vice President to the list of those who make decisions on promotion and tenure of faculty. 

The AAUP views each of these as a direct attack on the professionalism of the faculty, the importance of peer review, and the purpose of tenure. 

AAUP continues to address issues of workload and working conditions among others.  Over the break, the AAUP negotiating team continued to meet to discuss these issues.  We stayed in contact with the BOT team to resolve some issues rather than bring them to arbitration.  At this point, each side has about seven issues that it has not dropped from the list to arbitrate.  Watch your e-mail for updates. KW v
 

Not Getting our E-mail?

Although we really do try to keep our e-mail to the membership to a minimum, we still need to communicate some important ideas quickly to our members outside the 3 newsletter per semester format.  If you haven't been getting our e-mail, let us know at aaupw@wcsu.edu.  We will add you to the distribution list.  This is especially important for our part-time members who may not have WCSU accounts.  Conversely, if you would rather not receive these communiqués, let us know at the same e-mail address. KW v

Tax Guide Available

AAUP at WCSU has placed a copy of The 2002 Tax Guide for College Teachers and Other College Personnel for Filing 2001 Tax Returns on reserve in the Haas Library.  Please feel free to stop in and consult it. 

The authors make the confident (if not frightening) claim that their guide "contains special information not found in any other tax guide, nor understood by most professional tax preparers."  It is also available to purchase for $39.95.  AAUP members receive $5 off this price. 

For more information, or to order online, go to our home page www.wcsu.edu/aaup and click on the featured link.  Or call Academic Information Service, Inc., toll free at 1-866-527-2482. v