Curators react to bill on intellectual diversity
The bill would require colleges to publicize intellectual diversity rules.
Jan. 30, 2007
The UM system Board of Curators will look at each campus's intellectual diversity policy, following the filing of a bill that would require disclosure of such policies.
The curators were scheduled to discuss intellectual diversity during their meetings last week but pushed the discussion back to their next meetings on April 5-6 at UM-Rolla, UM system spokesman Scott Charton said.
Charton said the curators planned to assess each UM system campus's performance in promoting intellectual diversity. The UM system is composed of UM-St. Louis, UM-Kansas City, UMR and MU.
The notes for the meeting provided three main points about faculty free speech and responsibility.
According to the notes, faculty members are first "entitled to freedom in research and in the publication of the results," given the adequate performance of their other duties. Second, faculty members are "entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects," provided they keep to the subject and do not divert significant classroom time. Finally, the document recognizes that professors are citizens and are free to speak or write as citizens, but because they have a "special place" in society, "they should at all times be accurate, exercise appropriate restraint, show respect for the opinions of others and make every effort to indicate that they do not speak for the institution."
The bill would require all Missouri colleges to post on their Web sites what steps they are taking to promote intellectual diversity.
Rep. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, sponsored the bill. The bill was proposed in response to a lawsuit filed by Emily Brooker, a student at Missouri State University.
Brooker said her social work professor gave her an unfair grade when she refused to sign a petition to allow gay couples to adopt. The lawsuit was settled out-of-court. According to previous Maneater reporters, MSU is responding to the incident by reviewing the social work program. MSU also wiped Brooker's official record clean and paid her $9,000. The university also agreed to pay for her to pursue a master's degree in social work or its equivalent, including living expenses.
UMR spokesman Lance Feyh said Rolla doesn't have a specific policy on intellectual diversity among faculty.
"In an open marketplace of ideas there aren't any ideological or religious prerequisites for participation," Feyh said. "However, there are some student organizations, like College Republicans for instance, that individuals might choose to join."
Feyh said one thing universities do well is engage people in constructive conversation about important topics. In previous Maneater reports, Cunningham said the bill is neutral ideologically.
"A few years ago, after Sept. 11, Stacey Woelfel, the news director out at KOMU would not allow any of his student reporters to wear an American flag lapel pin on or off the air," Cunningham said previously. "This and other incidents, like that of Emily Brooker, as well as lists of guest speakers brought in using student fees, cause concern and the need to address the issue."
More Jan. 30, 2007 News Stories
- Border Showdown: Rivalry moves closer to the state line — Changes to the location of the Border Showdown between the Kansas and MU football teams will impact the city's economics ...
- Brady expansion to begin this summer — Students will have to wait a little longer for the expansion process on the new student center to begin. A ...
- Campus Blotter — Thursday, jan.25 Police are investigating the vandalism of four cars and the theft of one car's contents on the SG-4 ...
- Campus groups help eliminate blood shortage — January is typically a month when there is a shortage in Missouri's blood supply. But this year the problem has ...
- Campus prepares for 2008 — As the 2008 presidential election draws near, there has been a wave of presidential hopefuls who have officially announced their ...
Most recent News Stories
- Ninth District candidates debate in forum — With Missouri's primary elections less than a month away, Republican and Democratic candidates vying for the state's Ninth Congressional District ...
- Porter named interim education dean — She is the outgoing Sinclair School of Nursing dean.
- Textbook transparency law takes effect in August — Due to a law Gov. Matt Blunt signed on June 25 to make textbook providers more transparent to consumers, significant ...
- Gas prices in Missouri lower than elsewhere — Ninth district candidates agree that ethanol is not a long-term solution.
- The life of a Summer Welcome leader — In a garden of freshmen, MU junior Jeff Luker has a green thumb. A native of Eden Prairie, Minn., Luker ...