Academic Freedom Statement

From: Academic Freedom <academicfreedomnow@hotmail.com>academicfreedomnow@hotmail.com

To: academicfreedomnow@hotmail.com

Subject: Academic Freedom Statement

　

The following statement in defense of academic freedom is

being circulated by concerned faculty members. If you

would like to endorse the statement, please send your

name, academic position and affiliation, and contact

information to academicfreedomnow@hotmail.com

<academicfreedomnow@hotmail.com.>

Non-academic endorsers are also welcome.

　

We hope to publish the statement as a full page ad in the

New York Times and possibly other media outlets with the

names of hundreds or thousands of endorsers. The cost will

be many thousands of dollars. If you would like to make a

contribution towards the cost of publishing the statement,

please send a check to:

　

Center for Economic Research and Social Change

P.O. Box 258082

Chicago, IL 60625

　

Mark your check "Academic Freedom Ad".

　

Please contact the email address above if you have any

questions or comments.

------------------------------------------------------------

　

To fellow teachers and staff members:

　

In the crisis precipitated by the terrible events of

September 11, members of academic communities across the

U.S. have participated in teach-ins, colloquia,

demonstrations, and other events aimed at developing an

informed critical understanding of what happened and why.

Now that the U.S. is waging war in 　Afghanistan, such

activities are continuing.

　

Unfortunately, some participants in these events have been

threatened and attacked for speaking out. Trustees of the

City University of New York are planning formal

denunciations of faculty members who

criticized U.S. foreign policy at a teach-in during the

first week in October. There have been similar efforts to

silence criticism and dissent at the University of Texas

at Austin, MIT, the University of

North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of

Massachusetts at Amherst, and elsewhere. AAUP director of

public policy Ruth Flower told the Boston Globe on October

6, "We're watching these developments with a lot of

concern."

　

Attacks on faculty who have questioned or dissented from

the Bush administration's current war policy have

coincided with other ominous developments. Colleges and

universities are being pressured by agencies of the

federal government to hand over confidential

information from studentfiles. And there are moves in

Congress to limit visas for students from abroad.

　

We call on all members of the the academic community to

speak out strongly in defense of academic freedom and

civil liberties, not just as an abstract principle but as

a practical necessity. At a moment such as

this we must make sure that all informed voices-especially

those that are critical and dissenting-are heard.

　

　

Anatole Anton

Professor of Philosophy, San Francisco State University

　

Dana Cloud

Associate Professor of Communication, University of Texas

at Austin

　

Donna Flayhan

Assistant Professor of Communication & Media Studies,

Goucher

College

　

Phil Gasper

Associate Professor of Philosophy, Notre Dame de Namur

University

　

Richard Gibson

Associate Professor of Social Studies, San Diego State

University

　

William Keach

Professor of English, Brown University

　

Tom Lewis

Professor of Spanish, University of Iowa

　

Edward Said

University Professor, Columbia University

**************************************

　

Patrick G. Coy, Ph.D.

Center for Applied Conflict Management (CACM)

Kent State University

Box 5190

Kent, OH 44242 CACM web site: http://www.kent.edu/cacm

Email:pcoy@kent.edu

Phone: (330) 672-2875 "Research in Social Movements,

　

__________________________________________________

To Japanese Top