President Hamilton's Memo: Freedom of Speech

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>**IMPORTANT**
>PLEASE FORWARD this message to all faculty and staff within your unit.
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>
>MEMORANDUM
>
>TO:            UAF Faculty and Staff
>
>FROM:          Marshall Lind, Chancellor
>
>DATE:          March 29, 2001
>
>SUBJECT:       President Hamilton's Memo
>
>The correspondence, below, from UA President Mark Hamilton gives me
>an opportunity to formally share with you my thoughts on the
>important issue of academic freedom. I strongly endorse the
>President's letter.
>
>As an institution of higher learning, we will embrace the free
>exchange of ideas and opinions. The free discussion of different
>perspectives, not just those that are politically prudent or
>politically correct, must be encouraged and shared without fear of
>retribution by those in the university community. This philosophy is
>the fundamental foundation upon which we operate.
>
>Whether you are a tenured faculty professor or a staff member
>providing the day-to-day support that runs this institution, each of
>you are valued employees who serve as ambassadors of UAF. I
>appreciate your many contributions, which continue to make this
>institution a world-class teaching and research facility.
>
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>   TO:   E. Lee Gorsuch, Chancellor, University of Alaska Anchorage
>         Marshall Lind, Chancellor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
>         John Pugh, Chancellor, University of Alaska Southeast
>
>FROM:   Mark R. Hamilton, President
>
>DATE:   March 13, 2001
>
>Dear Colleagues:
>
>A number of recent events has convinced me that I take the unusual step
>to state clearly and unambiguously what all of us would take as a given -
>The University of Alaska acknowledges and espouses the right to
>freedom of speech.
>
>The recent events I referred to include professors signing a letter to
>President Clinton urging the preservation of ANWR, the selection of the
>speaker for the Bartlett lecture series, and the publishing of the poem,
>"Indian Girls" by Professor Linda McCarriston.
>
>What I want to make clear and unambiguous is that responses to
>complaints or demands for action regarding constitutionally guaranteed
>freedoms of speech CANNOT BE QUALIFIED.  Attempts to assuage anger or to
>demonstrate concern by qualifying our support for free speech serve to
>cloud what must be a clear message.  Noting that, for example, "The
>University supports the right of free speech, but we intend to check
>into this matter," or "The University supports the right of free speech,
>but I have asked Dean X or Provost Y to investigate the circumstances,"
>is unacceptable.  There is nothing to "check into," nothing "to
>investigate."
>
>Opinions expressed by our employees, students, faculty or administrators         
>don^Òt have to be politic or polite.  However personally offended we
>might be, however unfair the association of the University to the
>opinion might be, I insist that we remain a certain trumpet on this most
>precious of Constitutional rights.
>
>I am directing you, the Chancellors, to effect wide dissemination of
this letter.  I would prefer it go forward with your endorsement.

                                                                -fxsp