|
« AAUP Homepage
|
Kansas Governor Affirms Academic Freedom
In April, Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius issued a ringing endorsement of academic freedom and vetoed part of a legislative bill that sought to cut $3.1 million from the University of Kansas budget because of objections to a course on human sexuality.
The legislature had proposed the cuts after learning about a student's objections to the content of a popular course in human sexuality. The elective course, taught for two decades by an award-winning professor, uses videotapes and pictures that depict genitalia and sexual activity.
The national AAUP and the Kansas AAUP conference joined other organizations, including the Kansas higher education governing board, in urging the governor to veto the provision. In a statement about the veto, Sebelius said:
In a democracy, academic freedom in higher education is essential. Nevertheless, every institution of higher learning in Kansas has an obligation to exercise its academic freedom responsibly. The Kansas Board of Regents has in place well-established policies and procedures to provide redress for students, parents, and taxpayers who question the educational value or appropriateness of any material used in the institutions of higher learning under the authority of the Board of Regents. Following such policies and procedures will resolve concerns within the appropriate exercise of academic freedom. Therefore, I veto the . . . proviso as an inappropriate use of legislative powers designed to impinge upon academic freedom in the State of Kansas.
The legislature subsequently passed a bill requiring state institutions to devel-op a policy on the use "of sexually explicit materials, including videos, as part of the curriculum . . . for undergraduate students.
|