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
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