Since Sept. 11, 2001, many people have expressed support for "patriotic correctness" in higher education--a concept that discourages teachers from expressing dissent from American foreign policy in the classroom.
Members of the Duke community, however, say faculty members should be allowed to express personal opinions in an academic setting, at least to a degree.
Many professors said there is no clear line between expressing an opinion and pushing a political agenda, but that faculty members have an obligation to separate fact and opinion if and when they express their own views in class.
"We should have the right to express our views, but perhaps not the right to impose our views," said Frederick Mayer, director of graduate studies for public policy studies. He added that faculty members must be careful not to punish students who take different views from their own.
Provost Peter Lange echoed Mayer's sentiment, saying faculty members should be able to express their views as long as students understand that differences of opinion will not influence how they are evaluated in the class. This sort of punishment, Lange said, would negate some of the positive effects of expressing personal opinions in class, such as the generation of discussion on a particular topic.
Many professors have put their careers on the line by allegedly allowing their political views in the classroom. For example, a part-time instructor at Citrus College near Los Angeles was removed from teaching a course last spring after students said she offered extra credit for writing letters to President George W. Bush opposing the war with Iraq.
Duke's own policies on freedom of expression in academia have not stirred as much controversy as those at other schools. However, in March, members of the cultural anthropology department used department funds to publish an advertisement in The Chronicle disapproving of the war with Iraq. Provost Peter Lange notified the faculty that it was against the University's responsibilities under the federal tax code for one of its departments to pay for a political advertisement.
Lange said he was not opposed to faculty members expressing their views in the classroom, and that a universal policy banning such would be inappropriate. Many professors agreed with Lange's sentiments.
"There may be some topics where it is appropriate for the instructor to air his political views, and some topics where it is not. We would need a case-by-case determination of what is appropriate," said Tad Schmaltz, director of graduate studies for philosophy. "The administration is probably safest to be as open as possible to different ways of teaching, rather than enforcing a particular model."
Schmaltz added that the administration might want to step in only in cases where the professor's views can be construed as threatening: "The relevant yardstick is not what a teacher's political views are, but whether there's some sort of coercion or harassment going on."
Many noted that the expression of personal opinions in class is not only inevitable but also desirable.
"It's inevitable that each of us comes to the class with certain political beliefs and backgrounds," Mayer said. "I don't push mine, and I'm careful to say that there are other legitimate beliefs, but I believe it's important for students to know where I'm coming from. This is not because I'm trying to persuade them, but because it empowers them to make a judgment about what I'm saying."
Mayer noted, however, that some of his colleagues believe it best that professors not reveal personal beliefs in class--political or otherwise.
Ruth Grant, political science professor and chair of the faculty council for the Kenan Institute for Ethics, said it is most important that teachers create an atmosphere where students feel their opinions are valid.
"It's probably best for professors to see themselves as facilitators or moderators of a conversation, moving the conversation forward rather then being partisan," Grant said. "But that doesn't mean there aren't some cases where a professor should speak up."
Students seemed to be of the same mind, saying faculty members can express their personal opinions in class as long as they also leave room for other views.
"[Expressing their opinions] is okay, but they shouldn't be closed off to the political opinions they disagree with," said sophomore Sarah Bennett. "They should keep an open mind and encourage students to do the same."
Emma Wallace, a sophomore, said she thought professors' views were an important part of a college education.
"We're coming to college to be exposed to different ideas, and if our professors aren't allowed to express their own ideas, then why are we coming to class?" she said.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.