Faculty Assembly Resolution
Mount Saint Mary's University - February 9, 2016
Preamble:
The Elizabethtown College Faculty Assembly believes that academic freedom is essential to the mission of higher education. Whereas the faculty is charged with maintaining the integrity of the academic program, faculty members must be free to voice opposition to administrative policies they believe are detrimental to student learning. Whereas higher education is committed to the search for truth and understanding, reasoned dissent must be protected. This protection extends to the faculty, student journalists, and faculty advisors, whose commitment to the search for truth supersedes loyalty to the institution or obedience to the administration. Whereas the faculty of Mount Saint Mary’s cannot effectively advocate for their own rights without fear of retaliation and dismissal, we are obligated by our commitment to justice to speak out on their behalf.
Be it resolved that The Elizabethtown College Faculty Assembly:
Denounces the decision of Mount Saint Mary’s President, Simon P. Newman, to terminate, without due process, faculty members for their “disloyalty” as antithetical to the mission of higher education and demonstrating a profound ignorance of academic culture and shared governance.
Condemns the use of fear and intimidation, through threat of job loss, to silence faculty.
Calls upon the Board of Directors of Mount Saint Mary’s to immediately reinstate those who have been terminated for expressing reasoned opposition to President Newman’s plan to cull weak students from the university.
Calls upon President Carl Strikwerda and The Elizabethtown College Board of Trustees to condemn this affront to academic freedom and shared governance at Mount Saint Mary’s.
Calls upon President Carl Strikwerda and his administration to consider assisting those unjustly terminated at Mount Saint Mary’s in any way that is within the means and capabilities of Elizabethtown College.
For questions about the resolution please contact:
Dr. April Kelly,
Chair of the Politics, Philosophy, and Legal Studies Department.
Email: kellya@etown.edu | Phone: 717-361-1285
more about Dr. Kelly