Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site sunybcs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!rocksvax!sunybcs!devinney From: devinney@sunybcs.UUCP (George DeVinney) Newsgroups: net.college Subject: Accuracy In Academia Message-ID: <2609@sunybcs.UUCP> Date: Tue, 10-Dec-85 22:30:53 EST Article-I.D.: sunybcs.2609 Posted: Tue Dec 10 22:30:53 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 12-Dec-85 04:38:57 EST Distribution: net Organization: SUNY/Buffalo Computer Science Lines: 68 *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR ULTRA-CONSERVATIVE *** I had first posted this only to our local net but was encouraged to post it elsewhere. I felt that those at other Colleges ought to be aware that these activities could be taking place on their campuses. I am also advised that the person who has created this group was one Reed Irvine who also founded Accuracy In The Media. The general idea is that students make reports to an organization (in Washington?) who then distributes names and information via a national news-letter and (presumably) attempts to adversly effect the careers of certain faculty. Although it would seem not likely to effect the Computer Science department or faculty, I feel compelled to comment on the recent disclosure that students have been taping lec- tures by 'liberally biased' professors for a group known as Accuracy in Academia. This alleged call for accuracy in teaching can only lead to censureship and deprive us of the academic freedom so impor- tant to free thought. Any student not able to develop his own opinion of what he hears in a lecture ought to consider if he belongs in col- lege at all, much less in a major University. Do these peo- ple think that we listen to lectures and simply regurgitate what we hear? Hearing and exchanging views is how we all learn. If faculty are lecturing with a fear of reprisal for expressing their views, then we may as well skip classes and learn only from those texts that some group deems fit for our eyes. I agree 100% with any persons right to challenge what he hears in a classroom. However, we should disagree openly and express these opinions in an forum for all to hear. As a student of this University during the so called radical 70's, I found those classes where faculty were openly chal- lenged to be the most interesting. No one seemed to feel the need to report ultra- conservative professors to a self pro- claimed monitor of academia. It is a thousand times more important that we preserve academic freedom than it is to become protective of what can be discussed in classrooms. My intent is not to have these people ejected from campus but merely to show that at least some people see these tac- tics as reminiscent of the McCarthy era. I do hope that administration will never take seriously nor act on the advice of groups who operate this way. George DeVinney Insert usual disclaimer that these views are my own. FBI/CIA agents feel free to contact me for details. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ UUCP : {cmcl2,hao,harpo}!seismo!rochester!rocksvax!sunybcs!devinney | ...{allegra,decvax,watmath}!sunybcs!devinney | CSNET : devinney@buffalo | ARPA : devinney%buffalo@csnet-relay | BITNET : devinney@sunybcs | ------------------------------------------------------------------------