Academic Freedom for All at Columbia University

To: Columbia University
To:
Columbia University President Lee Bollinger
Board of Trustees Chair David Stern
The Columbia University Board of Trustees
---

Columbia University is an outstanding academic institution, yet some students who express dissenting views in class are being intimidated and silenced by certain professors who have promoted a biased and politicized agenda in their classroom.

We, members of the Columbia University community - including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the general community - call on Columbia University to renew its commitment to the principles of academic freedom, high standards of intellectual inquiry, and freedom of expression in the classroom.

We believe that all Americans should be concerned about intimidation and restriction of free expressions on campus. We need to ensure that in our universities all students are able to engage openly in respectful intellectual debate.

We believe that the Columbia University must adopt strong measures to end incidents of intimidation and harassment in the classroom and on campus, and to create a genuine learning environment within the University.

We the undersigned call upon President Lee Bollinger and the Trustees of Columbia University to restore the academic integrity of Columbia University and request the following:

1. Adoption of a zero-tolerance policy toward any harassment and abuse of professorial power in the classroom and on campus, with clear and effective consequences for those who violate the policy. This policy should include a "user friendly" complaint process that protects the victim, similar to policies and procedures for reporting sexual harassment.

2. Investigation of the charges of abuse raised by students in the film “Columbia Unbecoming” in order to maintain the integrity of the University, and to ensure an open intellectual environment free of harassment of dissenting views.

3. Adoption of a single standard and policy for ALL minorities and ethnic groups on campus.

4. Diversification of the Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures department for the sake of academic integrity and intellectual diversity. We ask the University to encourage greater emphasis on the major challenges facing the Middle East, such as democracy, women and minority rights, civil society, religious fundamentalism, and modernity.

IMO something like this might be beneficial at many universities, not just Columbia U.

There is a petition by Columbians for Academic Freedom asking the university to investigate political bias and protect students reporting it.
I hope that you will consider signing the petition. Please help ensure that the university takes this issue seriously.
Although the petition is not meant to further conservative ends directly, it will help conservatives at Columbia.
For more information on the controversy at Columbia, please see the Campus Watch survey of Columbia. http://www.campus-watch.org/survey.php/id/16

To view or sign the petition, Academic Freedom for All at Columbia University, go to
http://www.petitiononline.com/CARES/petition.html

The NY Sun and NY Daily News have both run articles, which have mentioned the flawed nature of the committee set up by President Bollinger to investigate the matter.

'Inadequate' Grievance Policies Cited
http://www.nysun.com/article/6003

Columbia taps lawyer to probe anti-Semitism
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/260359p-222948c.html

Their editorials on the matter have directly condemned both the committee and the way the President Bollinger has treated the matter.

The Bollinger Committee
http://www.nysun.com/article/6118

Columbia Send Wrong Message
http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/1429

The left has their own petition to silence any opposition to their virtual monopoly of opinion.
http://www.petitiononline.com/jmassad/petition.html
The ADC and Al-Jazeera were nice enough to support their fellow apologists for Islamist Terrorism at Columbia. http://www.aljazeerah.info/News%20archives/2004%20News%20archives/November/27n/Defend%20Academic%20Freedom%20at%20Columbia%20University.htm

Because of this, there are ten calls for the status quo to every call for balance and academic freedom. Please help end this iniquity by signing this position and passing the information on to fellow conservatives.

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