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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 10, 2000)
4________ NGWS WEÓNEsdAy, M a / 10, 2000 TI he ClAckAMAs P rint Academic freedom forum explores what we've learned activity fee. “I hope that today and in the fu KARL KATZKE/ Clackamas Print Nancy Wilson, nursing instructor, discusses discrimination against ethnic groups. She spoke from her experiences as a Polish person. DIANA SCRIVNER Associate News Editor Is it right for instructors to state their opinions in class? What rights do students have when it comes to filing a complaint or dis agreeing with an instructor? What is academic freedom, and where do we draw the line? These and many other issues were part of a lively discussion about academic freedom held yes terday in the Gregory Forum. The forum, entitled “Academic Freedom, What Have We Learned?,” was hosted by the so cial science department in light of all the issues that have been raised this school year. “My idea was to remind us of the importance of the issues,” said Bill Briare, coordinator of the event. The opinion of what academic freedom is varied among the four panel members: Nora Brodnicki, art history instructor; Dr. John Keyser, college president; Linda Vogt, advisor to The Print', and Paul Creighton, student; as well as among members of the audi ence. Brodnicki was the first panel member to speak. She spoke about the academic freedom fo rum that was held in February about the controversial artwork of “Two popes boinking.” She also discussed a recent ruling passed by the Supreme Court. “March 22 the Supreme Court ruled that public universities can collect activity fees from people who object to the particular ac tivities; this is a landmark deci sion. The Supreme Court said though you might disagree with gay right groups or women ’ s rights groups or art on campus, you still have to contribute to the college ture we can continue this discus sion about academic freedom and the rights that we have as students and as teachers but more importantly as people,” Brondnicki said. Keyser was the second member of the panel to speak. He discussed the difference between academic freedom at Clackamas and that of a private institution. He also spoke about instructors’ roles at Clackamas. “I believe that faculty are the ones that need to drive their own dimen sions of classroom behavior and conduct, and I have a great deal of belief and confidence that that works. “It’s important that we can con tinue to approach the future of this community college as one that needs to reach out and balance the tough debate about t ough issues with responsibility toward the diver sity of people that are in the com munity." Vogt spoke about The Print's role in the Epstein issue. “The first point 1 want to make today is something I think we are forgetting about this whole incident: when we talk about academic free dom we can debate the validity or appropriateness of Dr. Epstein’s comment in the class. We can de bate what context it was in. But what he said to the student newspaper on the record with full knowledge that it would probably be pub lished... there is no mistaking what he said there.” Vogt then read parts of the inter view in which Epstein stated he was dangerous speech. anti-homosexual. She also made “How do you determine the dif comparisons to racial discrimina ference between intolerance and tions that could occur. danger?" asked English Instructor Creighton took a different point Sue Mach. "If an intolerant thought of view. is dangerous, should it be accepted? "The trend nowadays is open If a teacher makes an intolerant re mindedness to everything and ac mark, or what the student perceives cepting and I’m great with that," said as intolerant, is it not that student's Creighton. "However, I am also ac right to complain and why is the stu cepting of the ‘ ignorant’ people who dent then attacked?” may not be so accepting and it is “I think it is one thing for students important to bear to say danger in mind that there ous things to are a lot of people one another; out there who they are on an don’t have the equal ground,” same belief or stated Amanda open- Coffey, English mindedness, and instructor. “It’s until we can accept yet another that, it is the same thing for an in kind of reverse dis structor to say a crim ¡nation.” dangerous Nora Brodnicki Creighton also thing.” art history instructor. brought up the “I think the col subject of an in lege may be lack structor at another ing acceptance institution being fired for saying of what each different group has to “dangerous” things. “I want that say,” said student Ron Landolt. “It. degree of danger, I want to have that seems to me that there is a line drawn around, the possibility of me join to where it affects teachers more ing a class and maybe having a dan than it affects students as to what gerous thought put in front of me." they can and cannot say.” Counselor Bill Zuelke said, Jean DeVenney, a counselor, “There is academic freedom and ended the forum with her comments. there is responsibility and there is a “I think that you can talk about boundary there somewhere...are dangerous thoughts and if they ap there any signals that we can point ply to a way of thinking, a system of to... that we're getting close to the ideas, then that is a challenge. But if boundaries?” you start making dangerous speech Zuelke inspired much feedback about individuals, then you start from the audience of approximately moving into what we call hate 100 people, as did the subject about speech." I hope today and in the future we can continue this discussion about academic freedom. Win or lose, bond 3-74 promises great impact at College STEVE NIELSON StaffWriter There has been a lot of talk about Measure 3-74, the bond measure that will provide $47 million for Clacka mas Community College on the May ballot, which many of us have al ready received. So, what is the bond? Who will pay for it? And where will the money go? The bond will make it possible for the college to update and renovate existing buildings, build a new multi purpose classroom building, and im prove student support services. Due to the college’s growth, these are much needed improvements. The bond’s $47 million will come from a property tax of 20 cents on every $1,000 of assessed value for resi dents of Clackamas County. Clackamas has experienced a 25% increase in enrollment in the last five years. The college has responded by cutting staff, doubling tuition and significantly reorganizing. “The net impact of these measures is that the average cost per student has dropped $300 in the last three years,” said college President John Keyser. What that means is that it costs the college $300 less to edu cate a student than it did three years ago. In spite of this, the college has had to dip into its reserve fund for several years to meet its budget needs. That reserve fund is almost depleted, and unless the school re ceives emergency money from the legislature, the college will have to make drastic budget cuts this year. And the bond, if it passes, won’t have any effect on the college’s bud get problems. In addition, anti-tax activist Bill Sizemore’s $1 billion ayeartax-cut initiative on the ballot in November threatens to take about $323 million dollars away from state schools. “[It’s] the single greatest threat to Oregon education,” said Gov. John Kitzhaber. But, Kitzhaber himself has made it harder for schools to receive fund ing by deciding not to give voters the opportunity to drop the double majority law that requires 50 per cent of registered voters to turn out and vote for the bond before it can pass. The money from the bond will ex pand and improve Clackamas’ physical facilities, including the re modeling of five buildings, and the construction of a multi-purpose classroom building to relieve crowd ing and provide a place for art, En glish, and theater. Student support services like registration, counsel ing and financial aid will be im proved. College utilities, parking lots, roofs, and roads will all be re built. Money will be made available to match public and private invest ments toward new learning and community outreach centers. A small portion of the bond will also go to refinance outstanding debt and pay bond issuance and associ ated costs. Roughly $41 million of the $47 mil- Iion bond is allocated for construc tion, improvement, expansion, and remodeling of college structures and facilities. Only $6 million will go to matching public and private invest ments and refinancing outstanding debt. None of it will go to the college’s budget and the school ad ministration won’t have any say about what it gets spent on. Whether or not the bond passes, it will have a huge impact on the school. If it passes, much-needed improvements will be made to allow Clackamas to keep pace with in creasing enrollment and demand for services. If it doesn’t pass, those improve ments won’t be made and the school will be forced to deal with increas ing numbers of students and needs with the inadequate and outdated FOOD & PHARMACY 19701 Highway 213, across from Clackamas Community College Sandwiches • Orient Express • Chef's Counter Scratch Bakery • Stone Fired Pizza • Floral i I 100 OFF ■ I JL With Voucher and C.A.R.D.® 1 Sushi 8-Piece ! I California Roll I -, Rice wrapped in nori with ¿imitation crab, avocado and cucumber and rolled in sesame seeds. Regular $4.79 • Must present Voucher and Haggen C.A.R.D.® • Valid May 10-16, Oregon City Haggen only. | MB MM NM BM MM MH MM MM BM BM NM MM MH MM MM MM MM MH BM BM MM BM MM MM BM MM MM MM BM MM MM MM MM mm mm mm «Ji
