University of Georgia prof defends faculty protest
Janet E. Frick, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Georgia, has written an op ed piece explaining why some UGA faculty signed a petition in opposition to the selection of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as the graduation speaker for the UGA 2008 Spring commencement.
Basically Professor Frick argues that the UGA faculty just can’t take it anymore. This past academic year the university has gone through one sexual harassment scenario after another. And the good professor feels
The UGA community has been hungry for leadership on this issue. The selection of a commencement speaker who was embroiled in arguably the most public sexual harassment case in history – for this year’s commencement – demonstrates neither leadership nor sensitivity.
The leadership and sensitivity not displayed have been by Michael Adams, president of UGA. According to Frick, a sensitive UGA president would not have selected “any speaker embroiled in controversy about sexual harassment – yes, that includes former President Bill Clinton – would be seen as an ill-advised choice this year.”
In the dankprofessor’s opinion, Professor Frick’s advice is not good advice for the UGA or for that matter any university.
Such advice reflects a descent into the culture of comfort. Being committed to comfort and sensitivity will almost always be at odds with a culture of controversy and dissent, a culture which should be a part of any campus.
The rationale for avoidance of controversial speakers or the suspension of academic freedom is almost always justified under the mantel of offense or sensitivity or under the argument that some campus group can’t tolerate the speaker or the controversy. As for the argument that the faculty of UGA just can’t handle controversial speakers on sexual harassment, such is a very poor reflection on the faculty. Maybe these faculty should resign if controversial speakers are too much for them to handle.
Janet Frick concludes her piece with the following statement- “I would like to see our president acknowledge that this decision was controversial, and defend the right of members of the UGA community to object to it.”
Of course, at this point in time it is obvious that the President’s decision was controversial; acknowledging it would be superfluous. And as for defending the right of members of the UGA to object to it, is it not taken for granted at UGA that the right of objection by faculty and others is axiomatic? If persons are attempting to suspend such a right then Professor Frick should publicly identify these persons.
—–
If you wish, you can write to me directly at dankprofessor@msn.com
Guest commentaries should also be submitted for consideration
to the same email address.
Barry M. Dank aka the dankprofessor™
© Copyright 2008
No comments yet.
-
Archives
- August 2017 (1)
- July 2015 (2)
- June 2015 (1)
- April 2011 (4)
- March 2011 (7)
- January 2011 (1)
- December 2010 (1)
- November 2010 (2)
- October 2010 (6)
- September 2010 (3)
- August 2010 (2)
- July 2010 (2)
-
Categories
- 2008
- abstinence
- academic freedom
- Anita Bryant
- anti-semitism
- art
- assassination
- attractive professors
- attractive students
- awards
- Barack Obama
- Barnard College
- bathrooms
- bicycling
- blog introduction
- blogs
- brain sex
- Brigham Young University
- CAAN
- Canada
- celebrities
- censorship
- Charlie Sheen
- child pornography
- civility
- Clemson University
- coercing women
- Colorado College
- con artists
- Concordia University
- conference sex
- consensual relationships
- corporate dating bans
- couples
- csu sacramento
- D'souza blog
- Dalhousie University
- Daphne Patai
- dating
- David Cass
- David Lettterman
- Debra Tate
- dental
- Duke University
- East Georgia College
- East Surrey College
- Emma Thompson
- ethics
- exhibitionism
- false rape charges
- fear
- feminism
- film
- flamenco
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- fobidden love
- Francine Prose
- fraternities
- fraternization
- futurist
- Gabrielle Giffords
- gay history
- gay marriage
- gay rights
- gender
- Gonzaga University
- grading
- Harvard University
- Heather Mac Donald
- hiatus
- higher education
- Hofstra University
- homosexual
- hooker
- hooking-up
- hugging
- Hugh Hefner
- Indiana University
- Iowa State University
- Islamic law
- Israel
- ivory tower romance
- Jared Loughner
- Jerzy Kosinski
- Jewish Journal
- John Bonnell
- John McCain
- Julian Assange
- just words
- Korea
- Larry Craig
- Laura Bush
- Laura Kipnis
- lesbian
- Lethbridge College
- lisa chavez
- litigation
- Louisiana Tech
- love
- Mark Bourrie
- Marquette University
- masturbation
- Michelle Obama
- Middlebury College
- MLA
- Moscow State University
- NCTU
- Northwestern University
- nudity
- NYU
- Oberlin College
- obituary
- office romance
- Ohio State University
- orgasm
- Otero University
- outing students
- Oxford College
- Pasadena City College
- passion
- Philip Roth
- poets
- political correctness
- political violence
- pornography
- Princeton University
- privacy
- Proposition 8
- prostitution
- public sex
- racism
- rape
- recusal
- reviews
- Rice University
- Roger Ebert
- Roman Polanski
- sadomasochism
- Sarah Palin
- Saudi Arabia
- Seattle university
- secrecy
- Senator Craig
- Senator McCain
- sex
- sex offenders
- sex toys
- sex work
- sex workers
- sexbots
- sexual harassment
- sexual identity
- sexual policing
- sexual politics
- sexual rights
- shame
- Sharon Tate
- Sharon Warner
- Smith College
- Southern Illinois University
- speech
- St. John's University
- student professor dating
- student slavery
- student-prof dating
- suicide
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- tenure
- the closet
- The Tenant
- theatre
- transmen
- trophy wives
- Tucson
- UC
- UC Berkeley
- UC Irvine
- UC San Diego
- UC Santa Barbara
- UCLA
- Uncategorized
- United Kingdom
- University of Bristol
- University of Calgary
- university of charleston
- University of Chicago
- University of Connecticut
- University of Georgia
- University of Hawaii
- University of Iowa
- University of Michigan
- University of Minnesota
- University of New Hampshire
- University of New Mexico
- university of pennsylvania
- University of Southern Maine
- University of Sussex
- University of Texas Houston
- University of the Philippines
- University of Toronto
- victimization
- violence
- voyeurism
- Warwick University
- Washington University
- William & Mary College
- William Buckley
- workplace
- Yale University
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
Leave a Reply