aaup-colorado amicus brief-churchill 2011

ColoradoConferenceoftheAmericanAssociationofUniversityProfessors StatementontheTerminationofWardChurchill (tobeincludedintheBriefof AmiciCuriaeNationalLawyersGuild,etal) Since1915theAmericanAssoci ationofUniversity Professorshasassumedthe responsibilityof protectingtheacademicfreedom ofuniversityprof essorstoteach, research,andspeakwithout fearofretaliationfromt rusteeswhosemotivationis oftenpolitical.Academicfreedom ensuresthatuniversitiesr emainhavensforthe expressionofideas,even controversialones,andassuch isnecessaryforthevery preservationofdemocracy. Trusteesofpublic,asop posedtoprivate(or proprietary)in stitutionshaveaparticular obligationtoupholdthe principlesof academicfreedom;ifapubli cuniversityisgoin gtoaskthepublic forfinancial support,thentheyhad bestunderstandsociety'sinterestinthefreeexchangeof ideas. Thefollowingpassagef romtheAAUP's1915Declaration ofPrincipleson Academic FreedomandAcademicTenurestates: "Trusteescannotbep ermittedtoassumethepropr ietaryattitudeandpriv ilege,if theyareappealingto thegeneralpublicfor support.Trusteesofsuch universitiesor collegeshavenomoralrigh ttobindthereasonor theconscienceofanyp rofessor. Allclaimtosuchrighti swaivedbytheapp ealtothegeneralpublicfor contributions andformoralsuppo rtinthemaintenance,n otofapropaganda,bu tofanon- partisaninstitutionoflearning." Ifthelowercourts'fin dingsthatfacultyhaven oviablerecoursetochallenge decisionsofthetrusteesareallowedtostand,academicfreedom,includingthe tenuresystemonwhi chitrests,willbeno strongerthanauniver sity'swillto protectitinthef aceofpoliticalpressurefr omtrustees,legislators,andthepub lic whomaynotunderstan dthenecessityofthefreeexchan geofideasinsustainin ga vitaldemocracy. 9September2011

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Page 1: AAUP-Colorado Amicus Brief-Churchill 2011

8/4/2019 AAUP-Colorado Amicus Brief-Churchill 2011

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/aaup-colorado-amicus-brief-churchill-2011 1/1

ColoradoConferenceoftheAmericanAssociationofUniversityProfessors

StatementontheTerminationofWardChurchill

(tobeincludedintheBriefof AmiciCuriaeNationalLawyersGuild,etal)

Since1915theAmericanAssociationofUniversityProfessorshasassumedtheresponsibilityofprotectingtheacademicfreedomofuniversityprofessorstoteach,research,andspeakwithoutfearofretaliationfromtrusteeswhosemotivationis

oftenpolitical.Academicfreedomensuresthatuniversitiesremainhavensforthe

expressionofideas,evencontroversialones,andassuchisnecessaryforthevery

preservationofdemocracy.Trusteesofpublic,asopposedtoprivate(or

proprietary)institutionshaveaparticularobligationtoupholdtheprinciplesof

academicfreedom;ifapublicuniversityisgoingtoaskthepublicforfinancial

support,thentheyhadbestunderstandsociety'sinterestinthefreeexchangeof

ideas.

ThefollowingpassagefromtheAAUP's1915DeclarationofPrinciplesonAcademicFreedomandAcademicTenurestates:

"Trusteescannotbepermittedtoassumetheproprietaryattitudeandprivilege,if

theyareappealingtothegeneralpublicforsupport.Trusteesofsuchuniversitiesor

collegeshavenomoralrighttobindthereasonortheconscienceofanyprofessor.

Allclaimtosuchrightiswaivedbytheappealtothegeneralpublicforcontributionsandformoralsupportinthemaintenance,notofapropaganda,butofanon-