Letters from the National Campus Director

Students Make Demands at Cornell, Texas A&M · 07 May 2004

The Cornell Daily Sun, the main student newspaper at the University, signed on as a co-sponsor to the resolution and printed an editorial lauding SAF's efforts to promote intellectual diversity and free discussion on campus.

"Why is The Sun sponsoring the 'Resolution on Academic Freedom?'" asks the editorial. "Because academic freedom is what every university must cherish and protect at all costs. Because it affirms that Cornell must strive to "Open Minds"-and opening minds comes only through free, uncensored, lively, engaging discourse: in speech in writing, in divergent ideas and viewpoints," the editors answer.

The editorial goes on to address and defeat several of the more common criticisms launched at the Academic Bill of Rights:

"Most opponents to Horowitz's bill raise two objections. First, they foresee a de facto quota system which they fear would result in the allocation of sports for underrepresented conservative professors. And second, they prophesize a day when, for example, German studies departments hire Nazi-sympathizing professors in order to achieve 'intellectual diversity.'"

"Nonsense!" declare the editors. "Universities exist to promote excellence. The hallmark of the academic tradition is the institution of peer review and the mutual acknowledgement of intellectual accomplishment, regardless of political stripe. This ensures that inferior ideas-ethnic cleansing, totalitarianism, to name a few-will not have their defenders in academic departments. And the word 'quota,' or any conceivable synonym, does not appear in Horowitz's or Blankenship's resolutions."

Students for Academic Freedom commends the Cornell Daily Sun for its accurate and articulate portrayal of the academic freedom movement, an challenge which many more prominent publications have failed to meet. We also thank Ross Blankenship and Cornell SAF for introducing the Academic Freedom Resolution.

Although the resolution failed to pass (you can read a detailed account of the accusations leveled against the bill at the Student Assembly meeting here ) we remain hopeful that the close vote margin and outstanding press coverage from the Daily Sun demonstrate that change is on the horizon at this leading university.

Students at Texas A&M have also leaped into action in the past week with a press release announcing their creation of a Professor Watch List and asking that the University's administration and faculty adopt the Academic Bill of Rights.

"The watch list is intended as a resource for students to consult prior to enrolling in courses," explains the release. "The 'Hall of Dishonor' lists six faculty who most flagrantly interject their politics into the classroom. A second component of the watch list, an interactive message board for students to report incidents of classroom bias, will be unveiled in the coming weeks."

Look to the SAF website for more reports from Texas A&M and Cornell in the coming weeks.

As the end of the school year approaches, it is crucial for those SAF leaders who are graduating this spring to name their replacements for the upcoming school year. Please send me an email at Sara@studentsforacademicfreedom.org or give me a call at 202-969-2467 to let me know who the SAF contact on your campus will be next semester. If your phone number or email address will change over the summer, please also send me an email so that we have your most current information. Our office will be open throughout the summer, so please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments or concerns.

Yours in Freedom,

Sara Dogan
National Campus Director
Students for Academic Freedom

—