This week the College of DuPage Board of Trustees will reconsider a set of policies that, while better than ones considered last spring, could still pose significant threats to academic freedom.
The policies up for a vote on the 15th state that “faculty members will be free to present instructional materials which are pertinent to the subject and level taught. Faculty members have a duty to present controversial issues in an unbiased manner which respects their students’ rights to academic freedom to determine for themselves the proper resolution of such issues.” You can view the policy here (scroll to page 125). http://www.cod.edu/adminstr/Board%20Packets/200910-15BdPacket.pdf
Certainly, this is not the policy mirroring David Horowitz’s “Academic Bill of Restrictions” language that was approved and then rejected by the Board of Trustees in May (see page 258). http://www.cod.edu/adminstr/misc/New%20Board%20Policy%20Manual%202008%2010%2013.pdf
But there remain substantial problems with the policy the Board is now considering. Experts in a field should determine how to present course material and evaluate students’ command of the material. Instead, these policies would have the Regents determine how controversial material should be taught and imply that students are free to come to any conclusion they wish. For example, the wording being considered could easily be taken to mean that science faculty presenting evolution as a valid scientific theory is inappropriately biased. The same faculty member could be found in violation of students’ right to “determine for themselves the proper resolution” for criticizing a student paper for lacking scientific evidence to back its conclusion that a creation myth explains the origin of humanity.