Mark Wade Lieu, Ohlone College, Executive Committee
Whereas, Senate Bill 5 (introduced December 6, 2004), also known as “The Student Bill of Rights,” proposes that “teachers should not take unfair advantage of a student’s immaturity by indoctrinating him or her with the teacher’s own opinions” and specifies that “curricula and reading lists in the humanities and social sciences shall respect the uncertainty and unsettled character of all human knowledge in these areas, and provide students with dissenting sources and viewpoints”;
Whereas, Such
legislation, which was introduced in 19 other states last year and previously
in California as SB1335 (also known as “The Academic Bill of Rights”),
denigrates the abilities of students of all political, ideological, and
religious backgrounds to synthesize and critically evaluate the information received in the
classroom and undermines the integrity of the learning environment by usurping
and impugning the role and expertise of the instructor in the determination of
course content; and
Whereas,
The ethics of our profession as educators requires that all teachers foster in
students a maturity and independence of mind by providing within the classroom
and college an environment where students are free to express a wide range of
viewpoints within the standards of scholarly inquiry;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges reaffirm its opposition to proposals that abrogate academic freedom as defined by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and that attempt to undermine the integrity of the learning environment, whether they be under the title of “The Student Bill of Rights,” “The Academic Bill of Rights” or any other name;
Resolved,
That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges reaffirm its strong
commitment to First Amendment guarantees of free expression and debate for both
students and faculty as a vital part of scholastic inquiry and the furtherance
of knowledge and its dissemination;
Resolved,
That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges oppose any form of
indoctrination and ideological intimidation; and
Resolved, That
the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges encourage colleges to
inform students of their rights and grievance policies and procedures available
to them at their colleges.
MSU Disposition:
Local Senates
Assigned
to: President
[The Academic Senate
acknowledges a CSU San Marcos Student Association statement as a source during
the development of this resolution.]