To the Board…
December 9, 2008
CODFA VP HIGGINS ADDRESSES BOT ABOUT ACADEMIC BILL OF RIGHTS
Lisa Higgins, Vice President of the College of DuPage Faculty Association and Associate Professor of English, made the following comments to the Board of Trustees at its meeting December 8, 2008:
My name is Lisa Higgins. I'm a professor of English at College of DuPage, and vice-president of the Faculty Association and Senate.
We're looking forward to discussing the proposed policy manual with Trustees Atkinson and Carlin tomorrow, December 9, at our Leadership Council meeting—a meeting of all the college leaders. We're hoping that the Trustees will see the error of their ways, and that we will all be able to move forward in a positive direction.
One proposal that is getting a lot of attention by state agencies and others is the proposal to adopt David Horowitz's "Academic Bill of Rights." My comments tonight are meant to help explain what the so-called Academic Bill of Rights is, and why students, faculty and the community should be alarmed.
The Academic Bill of Rights, or ABOR, as it's known, pretends to promote what it euphemistically calls "intellectual diversity." But in fact, it is a set of provisions designed to give its supporters control over what college professors say in the classroom. As the American Association of University Professors has stated, ABOR "undermines the very academic freedom it claims to support."
Supporters of ABOR argue that no student should be confronted with ideas that are in conflict with his or her political or religious beliefs. In particular, supporters of ABOR argue that politically conservative students or faculty are discriminated against.
Some proponents of ABOR contend that they merely want to ensure that all students are treated with respect. They say no student should be punished for holding a religious or political belief that differs from their professor's.
On that point, the COD faculty firmly agrees. Indeed, COD already has a complaint procedure in place for any student who feels that he or she was treated unfairly or marked down in a class due to his or her political or religious beliefs.
We should note that we do not know of any student who has filed such a complaint.
Academic Bill of Rights supporters apparently hope that the bill will give elected officials the power to dictate what theories, data and critical interpretations would be allowed in a classroom.
Let us be clear: The COD faculty supports teaching conflicting views on a subject where those views are supported by sufficient evidence. But it is the responsibility of college professors, who are trained experts in their fields, to evaluate that evidence. It's not the job of politicians.
ABOR has not been explicitly considered or debated before the Board of Trustees. But it has been considered and widely rejected elsewhere around the country—and for good reason.
Over the past several years, about two dozen state legislatures have considered whether to adopt ABOR for the colleges in their states. It has been roundly rejected virtually everywhere. We don't know of any state that has enacted it into law.
We also aren't aware of any college or university in Illinois that has adopted the measure.
As an institution, it is imperative that we maintain our accreditation, ensure that our classes and degrees are transferable, and maintain quality standards. Adopting ABOR and putting the Board in charge of curriculum would jeopardize everything COD has to offer. It would put our programs at risk, damage our reputation, and might even affect our state funding.
As a final note, I would add that Academic Freedom is protected by section C-2 of the Faculty Association contract.
Thank you.
