Advocate Online

On the Road
with Mark Smith

In recent months, academic freedom has been an important issue in Pennsylvania. Its House of Representatives passed a resolution last July establishing a select committee to study possible infringements on academic freedom at the commonwealth’s public colleges and universities.

The committee held five public meetings, and I attended the last two on behalf of NEA.

At a legislative hearing in Harrisburg on June 1, National Council for Higher Education President Kathy Sproles testified on behalf of NEA along with Pennsylvania Association for Higher Education President Jane Munley and NEA student member Jessica Sabol, who represented the Pennsylvania State Education Association. You can read the full statements on the NEA higher education Web site, www.nea.org/he, and an excerpt from Sproles’ testimony on page 12 of this issue of the Advocate.

Despite early concerns by some legislators, the hearings revealed that alleged faculty bias is not a problem in Pennsylvania and that public institutions already have policies to protect students should it ever become a problem.

Although the committee found no evidence of a problem and is likely to not recommend any legislative steps in its November 2006 report, proponents of the so-called Academic Bill of Rights may be moving to campus settings to try again.

NEA will continue to do its part to protect the integrity of the academy and to speak out on the critical importance of academic freedom, in part by working with student and faculty groups in the Free Exchange on Campus coalition. See www.nea.org/he for details.

— Mark Smith coordinates NEA higher ed activities.