As students walked by an atrium at Kennesaw State University on Thursday, about 50 professors discussed the value of being free to express ideas even if it makes some people uncomfortable.
Academic freedom, which allows educators to share opinions and participate in research on topics even if they're unpopular, is considered fundamental for universities and is used to encourage students to question what they think they know.
Some say academic freedom has weakened at Kennesaw State because of accusations that the selected provost was Marxist and un-American for a paper co-authored in 1998. Timothy Chandler ultimately withdrew and said the experience renewed his appreciation for academic freedom. Some professors said the uproar reinforced negative attitudes about Georgia.
Others, including President Dan Papp, say the fact there was debate shows the university’s commitment to academic freedom. Some professors said Chandler's scholarly work reinforced what they view as the campus's liberal bias. The controversy, they said, reminded the university that as it gains national prominence, it still must respect the community's views.
"We need to help folks understand who we are, and we need to understand who they are," Papp said. "We are becoming nationally recognized, and I hope the quality of our faculty and research and staff and students will minimize the impact of what's happened."
Papp plans to wait six months to a year before restarting the provost search.
A Cobb County newspaper said Chandler was fond of Marx and disliked capitalism because of the paper he co-wrote. The newspaper also questioned his relationship with the paper’s co-author, who in later writings linked the Bush administration to the Sept. 11 attacks.
The faculty senate didn't vote on a resolution expressing support for academic freedom and Chandler. Some members said they needed more information.
Chandler wondered if people understood that academic writing is not advocacy or personal opinions, but instead a way to explore different views.
"I was disappointed a university community as a whole would not stand up for academic freedom," said Chandler, who will remain at Kent State. "Kennesaw is an exciting place, but I don’t think it will be able to make the national transition it wants to unless it stands up for academic freedom."
Joe Dendy, the newly elected chairman of the Cobb County Republican Party, said Chandler didn't belong at Kennesaw State. Cobb is proud to have the university, and there will be hiccups as it grows, he said.
"I believe in freedom of speech, and we don't want to take that away," Dendy said, "but we need to remember a loose tongue can be as dangerous as a loose gun."
Colleges in Georgia and across the nation have faced similar challenges. In 2009, state lawmakers questioned why Georgia State University had experts in oral sex and male prostitution. The expert in male prostitution explained how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used his work to fight AIDS. The other professor said her work could be used in campaigns to prevent the spread of diseases through oral sex.
Ali Kamran, president of the student government association at Kennesaw State, said students were frustrated by the personal attacks on Chandler and are worried the college won't find a strong provost because of the perception that academic freedom is not protected.
Most professors at Kennesaw State are not concerned about academic freedom, sociology professor Melvyn Fein said. Many felt Chandler's 1998 paper should have been revealed, he said.
"I am concerned about the overwhelming liberal and left-of-center bias on campus," Fein said. "We need a provost to be more evenhanded. I firmly believe in the marketplace of ideas, but when we have the dominance of one point of view, you don't have a dialogue."
History professor Tom Keene said while the humanities and social sciences tend to be more liberal, conservative views are found in business, economics and law programs.
Keene, who helped organized Thursday's event, said professors don’t have license to provoke on random topics in which they have no training. Academic freedom provides a safety net to provoke in a way that educates students, he said.
"I'm not disputing the right of taxpayers to ask questions about what happens on a public campus," he said. "But this episode is harmful to Kennesaw and our community. It has reinforced the idea that the South and Georgia are anti-intellectual."
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