Friday, September 16, 2005
Reginald Fields
Plain Dealer Bureau

Columbus - A proposal to restrict professors' political speech in college 
classrooms will be dropped for an agreement among Ohio's higher education 
institutions to police themselves on the subject.

The presidents of Ohio's universities agreed this week to review and more 
vigorously promote campus policies on accepted speech.

"We've committed to reviewing student rights and grievance procedures and 
committed to an environment where those rights are broadly disseminated," 
said Jim McCollum, executive director of the Inter-University Council of Ohio.

The lurking alternative was controversial Senate Bill 24, proposed by Sen. 
Larry Mumper, Republican of Marion. He said most Ohio professors are 
liberals who could be prone to imposing their political ideologies on 
students.

"I think the majority of professors have the honesty and integrity to 
conduct their classes, but there are some who do not," said Mumper, who 
said he estimates that more than 80 percent of professors are liberals.

Mumper's decision to back off came as House Speaker Jon Husted, a suburban 
Dayton Republican, named reform at Ohio's public colleges and universities 
as a fall legislative priority.

Husted challenged higher education leaders to collaborate with state 
lawmakers to make their institutions more accessible, easier to navigate 
and afford, and more cost-effective to operate by eliminating duplication. 
He plans to "break down the barriers" and invite members of the Ohio Board 
of Regents, which oversees higher education, to speak to his caucus.

"I want the university presidents to know that we're serious. I don't mean 
serious as in, 'Do this or else.' I mean that this is not going to be a 
waste of their time," Husted said during a Thursday news conference.

House Democrats responded by blaming Republicans for shortchanging higher 
education in state funding and causing tuition increases.

"Now they want to talk about improving higher education," said House 
Minority Leader Chris Redfern, Democrat of Catawba Island. "We'll listen, 
but we're obviously skeptical."

Meanwhile, Mumper said the resolution addressing his bill, to be voted on 
by university presidents at next month's Inter-University Council of Ohio 
meeting, validates his concerns.

"They realize there is an issue with some professors at some colleges," he 
said. "We were obviously pleased to have this resolved with them taking the 
lead rather than have it addressed legislatively."

Rudy Fenwick, president of the University of Akron faculty senate, 
disagrees. He said professors pride themselves on hiding their personal 
political views during class discussions. Fenwick said the resolution 
merely appeases Mumper.

The so-called "academic bill of rights" has drawn national attention with a 
few states considering adopting similar measures. Mumper borrowed the idea 
from Washington, D.C.-based conservative activist David Horowitz.

Ohio Sen. Joy Padgett, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, says 
that while most schools have rules governing classroom speech and grievance 
procedures, the policies vary widely.

"Some schools were a bit more assertive than others," said Padgett, 
Republican of Coshocton.

In testimony for the bill earlier this year, students from the University 
of Cincinnati and Ohio University said they could find no procedures for 
filing grievances against professors.

The resolution should address that, Padgett said. Campuses will be 
encouraged to promote their policies in student handbooks, e-mails, course 
literature and in student orientations.