In the past two years, protests have been put off, Mirror issues pulled off the shelves, events canceled and posters prevented from being put up.
Now, as the issue of freedom of speech for students has become more prominent, English Professor Sally O’Driscoll and other members of the faculty saw a need to hold a forum to discuss the issue publicly on Wednesday afternoon.
Dean of Students Tom Pellegrino, Associate Dean of Students Matt Dinnan, Mirror Editor in Chief Stephanie Lauto ’08, English department chair and Mirror advisor James Simon, English professor Betsy Bowen, politics professor Don Greenberg and business professor Lucy Katz, spoke before about 60 students and faculty members in the lower level of the Barone Campus Center as part of the Student Forum on Freedom of Expression.
“The issue, [freedom of speech] has grown in the past year or so on campus,” said Pellegrino. “We have gone through an important, productive exercise an audit of our policies. It was challenging and difficult at times, we had to keep our egos in check. But I think we succeeded.”
An Academic Freedom Committee, compiled of professor from the academic council was put together following the cancellation of a same-sex marriage forum in 2006 to discuss the academic freedom policies of the University.
The result of the audit, according to Pellegrino and the committee members present, Bowen and Katz, was a restructuring of the student handbook to include a portion that discusses the issue of freedom of speech and gives students that right, one that is not guaranteed by the first amendment, since Fairfield is a private institution.
But, Greenberg encouraged students to keep on fighting for the right and not to back down in the face of pressure from the administration.
“You have the right, but only to the point that you are willing to fight for it,” said Greenberg. “Do not let the administration dictate to you what can or cannot be said, posted or expressed. If you do, you will be silenced.”
“Fight for it, make demonstrations peacefully and legitimately and you will win,” he added.
The seven members of the forum presented on the topic before opening up the forum to questions from the audience.
Bowen and Katz commented on their time on the Academic Freedom Council and how Fairfield appears to be in better shape than most other campuses in the freedom of speech policies.
“Freedom of speech is one of the more deeply held values in America,” said Katz. “It is called upon and respected in private settings. Fairfield has a history of representing that notion.”
Bowen agreed and said, “The University as a whole adopted the view that it has a responsibility to explore, examine and present Catholic views. But the individual groups, professors and students do not have that responsibility.”
Greenberg meanwhile emphasized the fact that no students have the right to academic freedom, based on American case law. But it is a respected tradition and one that students must continue to fight for.
Simon and Lauto discussed recent issues with The Mirror, including the He Said/She Said controversy of this year and the Orientation issue that was pulled last year.
“The Mirror functions best as an open forum,” said Lauto. “Students can be upset by content, but it has led to some of the most well-crafted responses from readers. Nothing upsets us more when students, faculty and administrators are upset by something in The Mirror, but do not respond.”
“Unless something violates the law or is harassment, there is no reason for it to be pulled. The University has been very accepting of the paper,” Lauto added.
Simon stressed the importance of keeping The Mirror independent, without any administrative oversight.
“It is important to have students teaching students,” said Simon.
Students and faculty in the audience addressed the panel with their concerns over the way that freedom of speech issues has been handled.
Laura Marie Marciano ’08 spoke about an issue that arose last year during National AIDS Week, when she along with a group of students passed out condoms on campus. No one was punished, but the University discouraged the action.
“We may have went about it wrongly,” said Marciano. “We were doing something without permission, but presenting another point of view. That should be encouraged.”
Pellegrino responded by saying it is a “difficult balancing act” of presenting both the Jesuit view and allowing other views to be shared on campus in an educational manner. Jocelyn Borcyzka, a politics professor and head of the woman’s studies department, said that the University should follow its strategic plan of living and learning and educate students, not just in the class room, but by making the entire campus a class room.
Spencer Thibadeau ’10, a former FUSA Senator and presidential candidate brought up the hypocrisy of telling students it is a free campus and then putting an adviser in the Senate meetings.
“It is intimidating and I know my classmates feel the same way,” said Thibadeau. “It is hard to express a full opinion with an advisor present. They don’t want to be looked down upon by the administration.
O’Driscoll, who sponsored the event, closed out by saying that it was a success.
“Hopefully this can continue a discussion on campus,” said O’Driscoll.
As Borczyka said about the issue of apathy, “The times are a’changin.”
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