Students For Academic Freedom

Students Announce Prof. of Dishonor · 29 April 2004

April 30, 2004

Contact: Matthew Maddox, A&M YCT Chairman 713.256.7951
Mark McCaig A&M YCT Student Advisor 281.222.0585

Students Announce Professor Hall of Dishonor; Call for Academic Bill of Rights

College Station, TX - The Young Conservatives of Texas- Texas A&M Chapter (YCT A&M) today joined the national movement of college students calling for protection from political indoctrination in the classroom with the release of its Professor Watch List. The watch list is intended as a resource for students to consult prior to enrolling in courses. The "Hall of Dishonor" lists six faculty who most flagrantly interject their politics in 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.

"The Professor Watch List is our first effort to raise awareness of the classroom bias perpetrated against students, and to let students know it is alright to speak out against it," said Matthew Maddox, Chairman of YCT A&M. "We hear all the time from students that they fear retribution from faculty if they speak out. YCT A&M is willing to deal with that retribution on behalf of students."

Mark McCaig, a student advisor for YCT A&M, called for action from university officials. "The incidents of bias that we are reporting toady are widely known at A&M, but little has been done to protect students. We ask today that the Texas A&M administration and faculty adopt the Student Bill of Rights."

The Student Bill of Rights is the centerpiece of the Students for Academic Freedom, an organization devoted to fighting against classroom indoctrination on college campuses. The Student Bill of Rights states in part that, "Faculty will not use their courses for the purpose of political, ideological, religious or anti-religious indoctrination."

McCaig continued, "The Student Bill of Rights has been adopted by numerous universities, including Utah State University and the University of North Florida. Texas A&M officials should be willing to pledge to protect students from the kind of incidents described in the watch list."

Paul Cozby, a YCT A&M officer organizing the watch list, lamented, "In academics, there a large movement in favor of 'diversity'. However, support for intellectual diversity is lacking. This watch list demonstrates that these faculty are in the business of indoctrination, not education."

The Young Conservatives of Texas, a non-partisan conservative youth organization, has been fighting for conservative values for more than two decades in the Lone Star State and publishes the most respected ratings of the Texas Legislature. YCT has chapters at Texas A&M University, West Texas A&M, Baylor University, the University of Texas, Southern Methodist University, Hardin-Simmons University, Stephen F. Austin State University and the University of Houston. The Texas A&M Chapter was YCT's 2003-04 Co-Chapter of the Year.

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