Last spring we reported that Professor Rick Steiner of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), had been removed from the National Sea Program grant for his criticism of the program’s “pro-business/anti-conservation” slant. Steiner filed a grievance protesting that the University violated his rights to academic freedom. This week UAF President Mark Hamilton issued a final rejection of Steiner’s grievance.
In their rejection, the UAF contended that the concerns of a funding agency over public controversy could be basis for disciplinary action against a faculty member. But Steiner and an employee advocacy group, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, rightly question how faculty can be free to pursue their subjects if they can be penalized for publicly disagreeing with the University’s financial backers.
This is hardly the first question about the influence of private donors over University programming this year. Last week California Polytechnic University changed the format of a lecture by industry critic Michael Pollon after threats from industry donors.
If the University is to remain a bastion of free inquiry faculty need to be able to seek truth wherever it lies, even if that means speaking out against their funders.