Free speech questioned at area colleges

AMANDA POPOVITCH STAFF WRITER AVP722@CABRINI EDU

With everything from war to wiretapping in the news, political and social views are never far from most people’s minds. However, the college classroom has traditionally been a beacon of free speech and open opinions. Recent events at the University of Iowa and locally at Temple and Pennsylvania State Universities suggest this may be changing. At all three institutions, students accused faculty members and administration of ridiculing students who did not share their political and social beliefs, and in some cases engaged in outright discrimination.

Students at the University of Iowa claimed they were regularly demeaned in class for both political and religious views and that even some of their tests contained ideologically oriented questions. According to students, these events frightened them into silence preventing them from voicing their opinions in class.

At Penn State, a suit has been filed on behalf of Alfred J. Fluehr, a sophomore political science major, who claims that the university employed a strict speech-code, which was supported by a policy that encouraged students to inform administrators if other students were voicing controversial opinions that they deemed “intolerant.”

At Temple University, a graduate student, Christian M. DeJohn, also a Pennsylvania National Guardsman, has accused two tenured professors of rejecting his master’s thesis and forestalling his graduation three times because he objected to anti-war and anti-Bush statements the professors made.

Legislation is pending in both cases in Pennsylvania, and both students are being supported by a conservative Christian legal advocacy group called Alliance Defense Fund. At the University of Iowa, administrators have responded by calling a town-hall style meeting between students and faculty, where they will discuss the problem and possible solutions. However, some feel this effort is futile in light of the accusations.

APenn State spokesman claimed that college has no such speech-code and that it fully recognizes students’right to free speech. ATemple University official declined to comment because of the pending legislation.

This topic was recently the their academic freedom of speech.

Dr. Charlie McCormick, dean for academic affairs, stressed that there is a fine line between using controversial issues to engage healthy discussion between students, and enforcing one’s own views in a classroom. McCormick said, “Given these complications and opportunities, professors decide for themselves if, when and how to use their political positions in relevant ways in courses.”

McCormick also cited a statement that the college endorses from the American Association of University Professors that follows along the same lines. It states that professors have a certain responsibility for statements they make, but that this should not discourage proper academic discussion of controversial issues.