April 4 , 2006
NEWSBill shot down
The professors of colleges and universities statewide will retain their academic freedom.
Senate Bill 1331, that stipulated that professors provide alternative course work for students, was defeated on the floor. The bill lost 12 to 17 in a Committee of the Whole debate.
Barry Vaughan, a professor of philosophy at MCC, was one of many teachers to react to the writing of this bill.
“I wrote to every member of the senate,” said Vaughan, “I wrote an email to each one of them outlining my concerns.”
Vaughan said he was opposed to the bill because the way it was worded was, “egregious and absurd.”
“What was particular egregious and absurd about this particular piece of legislation was that, first of all the sponsors of the bill were not cognizant at all of the costs that would have been associated with it,” Vaughan said.
Vaughan said if the bill had passed budgets of universities and colleges in Arizona to dramatically increase.“Not only did the bill allow for the student o opt out of an assignment,” said Vaughan, “but that assignment could include a textbook, an activity, a lab, it could include a entire class.”
The other problem that Vaughan said the bill had was a theoretical one.
“The very purpose of higher education would have been undermined by this bill,” said Vaughan. “The purpose of higher education . . . is to expose them (students) to ideas, to cultures, to activities that they might not ever be exposed to otherwise.”
Although Vaughan was strongly opposed to SB 1331 he was not opposed to students’ rights.
“Institutions of higher learning believe in the rights of students. We’re committed to the rights of students,” said Vaughan.
Part of the rights of students in every institution of higher learning is a grievance process. According to Vaughan all the colleges in the Maricopa district have a process through which a student can resolve any problems with a class or professor.
Vaughan said students should always talk first with their professors about any disputes they might have. If that doesn’t work students should go to the department chair, then the appropriate dean, then the academic vice president, the president of the college, and ultimately if a student a serious concern it could end up at the Governing Board. The formal complaint procedure is outlined in the Student Manual.