View the H-Labor Discussion Logs by month
View the Prior Message in H-Labor's April 2012 logs by: [date] [author] [thread] View the Next Message in H-Labor's April 2012 logs by: [date] [author] [thread] Visit the H-Labor home page.
Support mounts for the defeat of Section 273 of MI House Bill 5370...But more folks need to sign onto the letter - see details below 1/ Todd Gitlin wrote a blog post in the Chronicle of Higher Ed on the bill: http://chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/the-demeaning-of-academic-freedom-in-michigan/45794 2/ Carey Nelson, President of the AAUP, issued a strong statement in support of the campaign against Section 273A of the MI House Bill 5370 Michigan’s Folly Should Michigan residents be concerned that the state’s legislators will enact legislation denying public university students their academic freedom? That’s exactly what will happen if the state’s higher education appropriations bill includes section 273a, which prohibits Michigan universities from having any working relationship with a potentially very broad range of civic, religious, and public advocacy groups in the state. The issue is whether students can freely choose from among a wide variety of employers to gain work experience with while in college, or whether the employers will have to pass a political litmus test. One thing is absolutely clear: hands-on work experience while in college is the single best way of finding out whether you want to make a given industry, business, or nonprofit agency your life’s work. No classroom, no matter how good, can replace actual workplace experience. That’s the single best way to learn what work you love and what work you do not enjoy. I worked as an assistant teacher in a fifth grade class in Harlem while in college and learned that education is the best way to escape poverty and discrimination. That conviction has stayed with me for fifty years. I also worked in an office from 9 to 5 another semester and absolutely hated it. While working at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland I advocated for federal prisoners there who were the subjects of medical experiments in the days before informed consent. The Michigan law would prohibit that. On another job I protested corporal punishment in New York schools. That too would have been unacceptable under the Michigan law. Students need the academic freedom to choose the work experiences that best match their interests. Faculty members need the academic freedom to share their expertise with students when they advise them about possible work experiences. Universities need the academic freedom to set up work opportunities with all kinds of businesses and agencies—without political restrictions imposed by the state. Section 273 should be soundly defeated. Cary Nelson President, American Association of University Professors On Apr 15, 2012, at 10:17 PM, Seth Wigderson wrote: From:Emily Labarbera-Twarog <etwarog@illinois.edu<mailto: etwarog@illinois.edu>> PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY.... I strongly encourage you to sign onto this letter - If passed, this legislative action in Michigan will have a ripple effect at public institutions of higher ed across the country. In Solidarity, Emily E. LB. Twarog University of Illinois Dear Colleague, We write to seek your support in averting an imminent threat against the academic freedom of Michigan’s public universities. When the Michigan legislature returns from recess next week, it will be voting on appropriations for state colleges and universities. Recently, the following language was added to the higher education appropriations bill: Sec. 273a. It is the intent of the legislature that a public university that receives funds in section 236 shall not collaborate in any manner with a nonprofit worker center whose documented activities include coercion through protest, demonstration, or organization against a Michigan business. As described in a recent front-page story in the Lansing State Journal< http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20120406/NEWS06/304060026/Higher-education-funding-tied-social-issues >, this disturbing language seems to have been the result of a field placement by a University of Michigan social work student with the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan<http://www.rocmichigan.org/> (ROC-Michigan). ROC is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving working conditions and opportunities for advancement in the restaurant industry. Among many other projects furthering fair and effective economic development in Michigan, ROC has articulated demands for fair treatment of workers in Michigan restaurants. It has been suggested that the Michigan Restaurant Association suggested the language above as a retaliatory move against ROC, its interns and their faculty advisors. This language is so broad that it could potentially prevent public universities from forming partnerships or placing students with virtually any civic, religious, or other non-profit organization that engages in public outreach. It represents direct interference by the legislature in the university curriculum, and thereby curtails the academic freedom of the universities, their faculty members, and students. It is essential that the fundamental academic freedom and citizen engagement that are at the heart of our universities’ mission not be held hostage to their budgetary needs. We are collecting individual and organizational endorsements to include on the letter which has been cut and pasted as well as attached to this document, to Michigan legislators in the appropriations and conference committees. The legislature is moving quickly, and it is critical that you respond as soon as possible. Please respond to the Intercollegiate Community Engagement Working Group at intercollegiatecommunity@gmail.com<mailto:intercollegiatecommunity@gmail.com > to indicate your willingness to sign on to this letter as an individual or as an organization, and please include your title and organizational position for identification purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact Ian Robinson (e.ian.robinson@gmail.com<mailto: e.ian.robinson@gmail.com<mailto:e.ian.robinson@gmail.com>>) or Michelle Kaminski (michellekaminsk@gmail.com<mailto:michellekaminsk@gmail.com> <mailto:michellekaminsk@gmail.com>) two members of the committee who are academic professionals. If you prefer to send the letter directly (text attached as well as cut and pasted below), here are the email addresses of the legislators you should contact: House Appropriations Emails: FredDurhal@house.mi.gov<mailto:FredDurhal@house.mi.gov>, shanellejackson@house.mi.gov<mailto:shanellejackson@house.mi.gov>, rashidatlaib@house.mi.gov<mailto:rashidatlaib@house.mi.gov>, richardleblanc@house.mi.gov<mailto:richardleblanc@house.mi.gov>, anthonyforlini@house.mi.gov<mailto:anthonyforlini@house.mi.gov>, ellenlipton@house.mi.gov<mailto:ellenlipton@house.mi.gov>, kengoike@house.mi.gov<mailto:kengoike@house.mi.gov>, chuckmoss@house.mi.gov <mailto:chuckmoss@house.mi.gov> <mailto:chuckmoss@house.mi.gov>, eileenkowall@house.mi.gov<mailto: eileenkowall@house.mi.gov<mailto:eileenkowall@house.mi.gov>>, jimananich@house.mi.gov<mailto: jimananich@house.mi.gov<mailto:jimananich@house.mi.gov>>, nancyjenkins@house.mi.gov<mailto: nancyjenkins@house.mi.gov<mailto:nancyjenkins@house.mi.gov>>, mattlori@house.mi.gov<mailto: mattlori@house.mi.gov<mailto:mattlori@house.mi.gov>>, seanmccann@house.mi.gov<mailto: seanmccann@house.mi.gov<mailto:seanmccann@house.mi.gov>>, earlpoleski@house.mi.gov<mailto: earlpoleski@house.mi.gov<mailto:earlpoleski@house.mi.gov>>, billrogers@house.mi.gov<mailto: billrogers@house.mi.gov<mailto:billrogers@house.mi.gov>>, joanbauer@house.mi.gov<mailto: joanbauer@house.mi.gov<mailto:joanbauer@house.mi.gov>>, petermacgregor@house.mi.gov<mailto: petermacgregor@house.mi.gov<mailto:petermacgregor@house.mi.gov>>, daveagema@house.mi.gov<mailto: daveagema@house.mi.gov<mailto:daveagema@house.mi.gov>>, AIPscholka@house.mi.gov<mailto: AIPscholka@house.mi.gov<mailto:AIPscholka@house.mi.gov>>, BobGenetski@house.mi.gov<mailto: BobGenetski@house.mi.gov<mailto:BobGenetski@house.mi.gov>>, JosephHaveman@house.mi.gov<mailto: JosephHaveman@house.mi.gov<mailto:JosephHaveman@house.mi.gov>>, KevinCotter@house.mi.gov<mailto: KevinCotter@house.mi.gov<mailto:KevinCotter@house.mi.gov>>, JonBumstead@house.mi.gov<mailto: JonBumstead@house.mi.gov<mailto:JonBumstead@house.mi.gov>>, PhilPotvin@house.mi.gov<mailto: PhilPotvin@house.mi.gov<mailto:PhilPotvin@house.mi.gov>>, GregMacMaster@house.mi.gov<mailto: GregMacMaster@house.mi.gov<mailto:GregMacMaster@house.mi.gov>>, stevenlindberg@house.mi.gov<mailto: stevenlindberg@house.mi.gov<mailto:stevenlindberg@house.mi.gov>> Senate Appropriations Emails: ofcganderson@senate.mi.gov<mailto:ofcganderson@senate.mi.gov>, sendbooher@senate.mi.gov<mailto:sendbooher@senate.mi.gov>, senbcaswell@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senbcaswell@senate.mi.gov>, senpcolbeck@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senpcolbeck@senate.mi.gov>, senmgreen@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senmgreen@senate.mi.gov>, sengvincent@sentate.mi.gov<mailto:sengvincent@sentate.mi.gov>, senmhood@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senmhood@senate.mi.gov>, senhhopgood@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senhhopgood@senate.mi.gov>, senmjenson@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senmjenson@senate.mi.gov>, senbjohnson@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senbjohnson@senate.mi.gov>, senrkahn@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senrkahn@senate.mi.gov>, senjmoolenaar@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senjmoolenaar@senate.mi.gov>, senjpappageorge@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senjpappageorge@senate.mi.gov>, senjpoos@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senjpoos@senate.mi.gov>, sentshuitmaker@senate.mi.gov<mailto:sentshuitmaker@senate.mi.gov>, senhwalker@senate.mi.gov<mailto:senhwalker@senate.mi.gov> Thank you for supporting the academic freedom of Michigan’s public universities to engage with their communities. Sincerely, The Intercollegiate Community Engagement Working Group ******** Dear Legislator, The undersigned individuals and organizations write to draw your attention to proposed language in Michigan House Bill 5370 that would curtail academic freedom at any publicly funded university. Language proposed by the House appropriations committee would prevent universities that receive public funds from collaborating with any non-profit organization that publicly criticizes any Michigan business. The language is a ham-fisted response to the concerns of one business in Southeastern Michigan whose practices were criticized by a non-profit organization while a student was serving as an intern at that non-profit. Sec. 273a. It is the intent of the legislature that a public university that receives funds in section 236 shall not collaborate in any manner with a nonprofit worker center whose documented activities include coercion through protest, demonstration, or organization against a Michigan business. The proposed language is so broad that it could potentially prevent public universities from forming partnerships or placing students with virtually any civic, religious, or other non-profit organization that engages in public outreach. It represents direct interference by the legislature in the university curriculum, and thereby curtails the academic freedom of the universities, their faculty members, and students. Academic freedom is essential to the mission of the academy, and at times this can lead to ideas that can be uncomfortable for interest groups with differing viewpoints. The mission of the academy must remain independent of any particular interest group. We are concerned that the current proposal would have a broad impact and may lead to further efforts to undermine academic freedom. We hope you will join us in seeking to preserve the independence of Michigan’s public university system. We ask that you strike Sec. 273a from House Bill 5370 when it comes to the Senate. Sincerely, Individual Organizational Title & Affiliations are provided for identification purposes only Emily -- Emily E. LaBarbera Twarog, Ph.D. Assistant Professor University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Labor and Employment Relations Labor Education Program - Chicago Office 815 W. Van Buren, Suite 110 Chicago, IL 60607 PHONE: 312-413-0166 FAX: 312-413-2997 www.illinoislabored.org<http://www.illinoislabored.org> Follow me on Twitter - @etwarog FIND US ON FACEBOOK! Labor Education Program https://www.facebook.com/pages/Labor-Education-Program-University-of-Illinois/93566669048 Regina V. Polk Women's Labor Leadership School https://www.facebook.com/pages/Regina-V-Polk-Womens-Labor-Leadership-Conference/107075266008617
|