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Foundation for Individual Rights in Education

FIRE Update

by Newsletter

Table of Contents
February 11, 2008

1. FIRE Co-Founder Wins Academic Freedom Award
2. FIRE Alerts Brandeis Trustees to Hindley Case
3. Victory at University of California, San Diego as Unconstitutional Speech Code Proposal Shelved
4. University of Virginia Officially Recognizes Conservative Group
5. Recent Media Coverage
6. Recent Posts to The Torch

FIRE CO-FOUNDER WINS ACADEMIC FREEDOM AWARD

On Friday evening, FIRE co-founder and Chairman Emeritus Alan Charles Kors was awarded the Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick Academic Freedom Award. The award—sponsored by The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and presented at the Conservative Political Action Conference's (CPAC's) Ronald Reagan Banquet—recognized Professor Kors's tireless work defending individual liberties on campus, including the founding of FIRE. In his acceptance speech, Professor Kors addressed the critical importance of fighting censorship and repression on campus.

FIRE ALERTS BRANDEIS TRUSTEES TO HINDLEY CASE

FIRE has written Malcolm L. Sherman, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Brandeis University—and the rest of Brandeis's trustees—to alert them to Brandeis's mistreatment of Professor Donald Hindley over his critique of the word "wetback" during one of his classes. The letter addresses the misrepresentations of the case by Provost Marty Krauss, the sharp rebukes of Brandeis administrators by the school's own faculty, the bad publicity that the case already has generated, and the unbecoming public silence on the matter by President Jehuda Reinharz. The letter also cites the landmark 2003 letter from the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, which makes clear that harassment law does not restrict the freedom of speech at universities, despite what overzealous administrators sometimes think.

VICTORY AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL SPEECH CODE PROPOSAL SHELVED

In a victory for free expression, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) has shelved a proposed speech code that would have unconstitutionally restricted freedom of speech and assembly on campus. Following pressure from FIRE and student groups, the UCSD committee responsible for review and implementation of the proposed policy decided in a meeting on January 10 to discard the previous draft of the controversial policy and instead allow a student committee to completely rewrite the proposed policy governing free expression. FIRE wrote letters to UCSD President Marye A. Fox in June and November of last year, demanding that the proposed policy be revised to reflect the university's legal and moral obligations to protect the First Amendment rights of students and faculty.

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZES CONSERVATIVE GROUP

In a victory for free association, the Student Council at the University of Virginia (UVA) has reversed course and granted recognition to the Burke Society, a conservative student group. The Student Council initially denied funding to the Burke Society on the grounds that the group restricted membership "to only those that have conservative values." The Student Council's decision to recognize the Burke Society came on the same day that FIRE sent UVA a letter reminding it of its obligation, as a public university, to uphold the First Amendment right to freedom of association.

RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE

UCSD Guardian Online, February 7, "Price Center at heart of speech debate," by Serena Renner

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The Daily Free Press, February 6, "Prof investigated for offensive class remark," by Kimberly Wexler

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The Appalachian Online, February 5, "SGA seeks campus-wide free speech," by Anne Baker

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The Michigan Daily, February 4, "Policy raises free speech questions," by Andy Kroll

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The Brandeis Hoot, February 1, "ACLU statement criticizes Provost," by David Pepose

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More media coverage at thefire.org »

RECENT POSTS TO THE TORCH

February 11, "FIRE Co-Founder Wins Academic Freedom Award," Samantha Harris

February 11, "Donate to FIRE and Get 'Indoctrinate U' DVD," Alisha Glennon

February 8, "Victory at University of California, San Diego as Unconstitutional Speech Code Proposal Shelved," William Creeley

February 7, "At Cornell, Repressive Conduct Code Proposal Resuscitated," William Creeley

February 7, "Brandeis Faculty Step Up to Defend Academic Freedom, Attack Administration," Adam Kissel

Read The Torch at thefire.org »

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