January 5, 2006

HR 177 Hearing at Temple

An important event will take place next week, to which all interested members are invited. The House Select Committee on Academic Freedom Pursuant to HR 177, which has been discussed several times in the TAUP Bulletin, is holdings hearings at Temple on January 9 and 10.

For the complete agenda, as well as more information on HR 177 and a copy of David Horowitz’ Academic Bill of Rights, go to the TAUP web site (www.taup.org).

TAUP President William Cutler will testify before the committee on Tuesday, January 10, at 9:00 am. Other Temple faculty, including Rachel DuPlessis (English and Women's Studies) and Stephen Zelnick (English) are on the agenda. Since Faculty Senate President Jane Evans is out of the country, her testimony will be presented by Jeff Solow (Boyer College of Music) of the Faculty Senate Steering Committee.

David Horowitz, president of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture, has been given ninety minutes to make his testimony. He is the prime mover behind academic bill of rights legislation across the country.

The chairman of this Select Committee, Thomas Stevenson (R-Allegheny County), has stated that he wants to see if his committee even needs to investigate the status of academic freedom at the state and state related colleges and universities in the commonwealth.

TAUP calls on you to show your solidarity with your fellow faculty members, sending the message that academic freedom is alive and well in the classrooms at Temple, and needs no legislative oversight.

The hearings will be held in the new Student Center, Rooms B & C, on Monday, January 9, beginning at 1:00 pm; and on Tuesday, January 10, from 9:00 am to 1:00 p.m. There will be time for brief public comments on both days.