www.justiceblind.com

Oh, those poor conservatives!  They have control of the White House, Congress, and US Supreme Court, and yet, they still feel oppressed in university classrooms all over America.

 Yes, there are many “liberal” professors in the nation’s universities (but far less than “moderates” or “conservatives” according to the study you cited in your recent articles).  What you may find interesting is that many of us “liberal” professors actually take pride in that label.

 The many acceptable definitions of “liberal” in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary include: “of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts”; “marked by generosity”; and “broad-minded; especially not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms.”

 Whereas the term “conservative” is defined as: “tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions: traditional.”

 When the status quo or “traditional forms” are oppressive, unjust, unwise, harmful, wrong, etc., it is up to the “liberal” professor to say so, in order to fulfill our duty of providing a “liberal arts” education.  The “conservative” professor, being “disposed to maintain(ing) existing views, conditions, or institutions” would stand by and not challenge such conditions.  In my view, that would make them part of the problem.

 In my view, the final word on this for Appalachian professors can be found in the Faculty Handbook.  Section 3.2.2 (part of section 3.2, titled “Freedom and Responsibility in the University Community”) reads “Appalachian State University shall protect faculty and students in their exercise of the freedom to teach, to learn, and otherwise to seek and speak the truth.”  Section 4.7.1 (part of section 4.7, titled “Professional Ethics”) reads: “Faculty members, guided by a deep conviction of the worth and dignity of the transmission and advancement of knowledge, recognize the special responsibilities placed upon them. Their primary responsibility is to seek and to state the truth as they see it.”  And section 600 (titled “Freedom and Responsibility in the University Community”) reads “The University and each constituent institution shall protect faculty and students in their responsible exercise of the freedom to teach, to learn, and otherwise to seek and speak the truth.”

 When the facts support a truth favorable to the liberal viewpoint, our job is to say and promote just that.  When the facts support a truth inconsistent with what the President of the United States says and does, our job is to tell that truth.  If that causes people to hurl the “liberal” label at me, “bring it on!”