American Assoc. of University Professors Comes Out Against Laws to Protect Campus Free Speech
“one piece of a much larger well-funded, right-wing effort to disempower public higher education in the United States”
In recent years, a number of states have passed laws to protect free speech on campus, but this organization of professors opposes that. Isn’t that telling?
The College Fix reports:
Nationwide faculty group comes out against new campus free speech laws
In the past few years more than a half-dozen states have passed laws that aim to protect free speech and intellectual diversity on college campuses, but a nationwide faculty advocacy group has come out against those laws and similar efforts pending in other states.
The American Association of University Professors calls the laws “restrictive” and states on its website they are not about protecting the First Amendment but actually “one piece of a much larger well-funded, right-wing effort to disempower public higher education in the United States.”
Much of the documentation the association has posted on its website on this issue bemoans the fact that conservative and libertarian think tanks help back these efforts, and complain the laws “are tailored specifically to respond to the kinds of incidents that have affected conservative speakers.”
“The legislation rarely addresses other constraints on campus free speech, such as the recording of professors in classrooms or professor watchlists,” the group’s website states. “These highly specific measures suggest that its primary goal is not to enhance campus free speech, but to protect conservative voices.”
During a video meeting the group hosted Friday, two of its members argued the laws are “solutions in search of a problem” and said there is no free speech problem on campuses today.
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Comments
If there is no problem of free speech on campuses today, as These people claim, how would these laws help conservative voices, as they also claim they would?
If there is no problem, then these laws are completely innocuous, and there is no reason to oppose them.
The reaction of this group suggests strongly that they believe there is a problem related to free speech on campuses, the problem mainly affects conservative voices and they ardently wish to suppress such voices, more so than they wish to support free speech.
I would respect these people more (but not much) if they came out and admitted this rather than blathering nonsense.
“The legislation rarely addresses other constraints on campus free speech, such as the recording of professors in classrooms or professor watchlists”
Because how dare anyone protest when we abuse our authority.
The AAUP has always been a leftist group supporting left-wing causes. That’s why I never joined.
Their opposition to recording lectures tells me that they say things in lectures that are biased and not relevant to the course. ALL of my lectures were recorded, and I provided a table with power at the front of the class where students could place their recorders. If a student missed a lecture, I generally knew at least one student who could lend them a recording of the class.
Classrooms should not be used for political indoctrination. Lectures should address the topic of the course, and not the instructor’s biased comments and bullying of students who don’t agree. Instructors who teach solid courses should not object to students taping their courses for later study and review.
Does the AAUoP not consider the incidents affecting conservative speakers to be a problem? And what of the incidents and rules for students e.g. zones restricting free speech? It seems to me that the AAUoP’s objection is to having their ability to restrict free speech curtailed.
As for their other alleged constraints on free speech, are they? Why shouldn’t students record professors in classrooms? Aren’t students supposed to learn? Sure they can take notes, but a full on recording can work better. Indeed many institutions record lectures and make these available online. As for watchlists, why are these a problem? Isn’t it reasonable to warn students where professors have demonstrated egrigious bias and intolerance? Again it seems like these professors object to the First Amendment.
Perhaps they would find employment in North Korea more to their liking?
If a professor has a problem with students recording them I have to wonder what they’re saying that they’d like to hide.
Is free speech a part of a plot to “disempower public higher education in the United States”?
Well, since “public higher education in the United States” has a particular political and social agenda which they are even forced to allude to here, so they can express their discomfort, why yes we do want to cut that down and de-weaponize public higher education in the United States.