Members of the Hamilton community gathered on April 9 for
a panel discussion titled, "Advocacy, Activism and Civic
Responsibility on College Campuses." It included presenters Stanley
Fish, dean emeritus of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the
University of Illinois at Chicago; Elizabeth Minnich, senior fellow,
the Association of American Colleges & Universities: Office of
Diversity, Equity, Global Initiatives; Douglas Ambrose, Sidney Wertimer
associate professor of history; and Maurice Isserman, professor of
history. Maynard-Knox Professor of Government and Law Frank Anechiarico
'71 moderated the panel discussion.
Each presenter was given a
limited amount of time to discuss the civic responsibilities of
students, faculty, and administration at colleges and universities.
Stanley
Fish was the first presenter. He argued that there is currently a lack
of philosophical or moral issues being raised about what is gong on at
various colleges and universities across the United States; more
debate, according to Fish, is centered on materials, skills and
organization of college campuses. The product of such environment is a
lack of cultural sensitivity and academic freedom, among other things.
Consequently, administrators do not know what to do when controversy
occurs surrounding issues of free speech, diversity, and academic
freedom. Fish discussed the role of free speech and academic freedom on
a college campus, concluding that questions regarding free speech are
not philosophical or moral but rather only questions of pragmatism and
administrative judgment. He concluded his speech by urging university
administrators to "take their best shot" in trying to find a solution
to difficult questions surrounding free speech and academic freedom.
Administrators cannot please everyone, he stated, and therefore it
should be a college's responsibility to "bite the bullet" more often
then not to preserve exchange of ideas.
Elizabeth Minnich
spoke about the tensions between thinking and political activism in
both a historical context and on college campuses today. Minnich called
on the philosophy of Plato, Ghandi, Jane Adams and John Dewey to
demonstrate the need for engaged philosophical discussion and action.
"We must embrace our human complexities rather than compartmentalize
such ideas [of action and thinking]," she claimed. Minnich then
provided audience members with precise definitions of "action,"
"knowledge" and "thinking," calling for all three to have a clear role
on college campuses. Campuses are an academic community that stretches
beyond the classroom, she explained. It is the responsibility of
professors to protect both learning and thinking in the classroom, and
provide a forum for political action outside the classroom; the
classroom and the political soapbox should not be the same place,
however. "Justice of equality is intrinsic to academic communities,"
she concluded, urging college and university officials to maintain the
tensions between action and knowledge.
Douglas Ambrose, The
Sidney Wertimer Associate Professor of History, presented a short
commentary, as well. He discussed what faculty members "owe their
students." Ambrose explained this idea, citing that sometimes
professors may shift the topic of conversation in a class to discuss
what is going on in the outside world, whether it be in the news or on
campus. He discussed the struggle many professors may have to engage in
such a "teaching moment;" however, the professor was hired to teach a
class not to discuss any external issues unrelated to the course.
Therefore, Ambrose argued, it is the professor's responsibility not to
indulge in his or her own passion and continue with the regularly
scheduled course work, regardless of how important an external issue
may appear. To indulge in such conversation trivializes the professor,
the course, and the institution, he stated. "In the classroom, nothing
is more important than what we teach," Ambrose concluded.
Maurice
Isserman, professor of history, commented on the importance of free
speech in a historical context. Every major change within the U.S.
began as a battle of free speech; similarly, Hamilton has a long
history and a valuable tradition regarding the preservation of free
speech. Isserman provided two historical examples to validate his
theory, discussing Hamilton graduates Garret Smith and Bob Moses, both
of whom fought for greater social change by fighting for the freedom of
speech. Isserman urged the Hamilton administration to be inspired by
the life experiences of these two Hamilton alums. He then suggested
that Hamilton could officially embrace such a strong and important
tradition at the College by establishing a forum, organized with the
legacy of Smith and Moses in mind.
Following Isserman's
commentary, audience members were encouraged to ask questions, provide
commentary, and present any other ideas to the panel. Attendees
discussed the role of personal politics in the classroom, activism on
campus, political and social balance at colleges, and the current
debate regarding controversial speakers at academic institutions.
-- by Emily Lemanczyk '05
