8/13/2019 CSU-P AAUP Chapter on McGettigan

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January 21, 2014

President Lesley Di MareAdministration 1012200 Bonforte Blvd.Pueblo, CO 81001-4901

Good morning,

Our colleague Professor Tim McGettigan has brought a matter to the attention of the CSU-Pueblo Chapter of theAAUP which, we feel, requires the most strenuous intervention: Professor McGettigans campus e-mail accountwas deactivated because of a claimed violation of the campus Electronic Communications Policy, according to aletter he received from Deputy General Counsel Johnna Doyle.

The AAUP believes that McGettigans e-mail that was cited in Doyles letter does not in any way whatsoeverviolate the Policy. Rather, the AAUP insists that this e-mail, and our colleagues other speeches and writings,are examples which clearly fall within the great tradition of academic freedom, in which scholars passionatelyadvocate for what they think is true and valuable in their discipline, their pedagogy, and for the educationalinstitutions they love.

For the CSU-P administration to shut off McGettigans speech in this manner sends a message to the faculty,students, and public at large that dissenting views from current policy will simply not be tolerated. It alsosuggests an administration which has fundamentally abandoned the basic idea of academic freedom on whichthe health of higher education depends, and likewise abandoned any idea of working with faculty. For how cana faculty member speak openly in public when there is a fear of nonsensical, trumped-up charges being leveledif the speech is too disruptive of the administrations plans?

The future of collaboration between faculty and administration at CSU-P is at stake, as is the national reputationof this institution. The article about the injustice done to Professor McGettigan in Inside Higher Edon January20, 2014, has drawn the attention of numerous academics from all over the country, many condemning your action.Your response to this article, which prompted an update on the IHE website, has enormously compounded theproblem by upping the ante and implying that Professor McGettigan can in some way be compared to thosewho perpetrated mass killings in educational settings.

Dr. Di Mare, we beg you to repudiate this terrible mistake. There is absolutely no evidence that McGettiganse-mail has or would cause any concern at all of anything more violent than an interesting debate nor does itintimidate, threaten, or harass other individuals, or [...] interfere with the ability of others to conduct universitybusiness, as the supposedly offending portion of the Electronic Communications Policy states. As a consequence,this ill-considered update to the IHEarticle elevates a public abrogation of the fundamental idea of academicfreedom to the level of defamation of a valued, respected, and entirely non-violent colleague in a national forum!

8/13/2019 CSU-P AAUP Chapter on McGettigan

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It is unclear to the AAUP how or if this administration can regain the trust and support of our faculty, and ofthe academic community nationwide, after this mistake. First steps must include at least the following:

1. Immediate restoration of Professor McGettigans e-mail account.

2. A public apology to Professor McGettigan for deactivating his account and for the comparisons made inyour statements as published in the updatedIHE article.

3. A statement to the faculty and community here in Pueblo that the administration does and will respectacademic freedom.

4. A further update toInside Higher Edaccepting responsibility for this mistake regarding academic freedomon our campus and acknowledging the entirely unjust damage done to Professor McGettigans nationalreputation.

5. Perhaps some disciplinary action against Deputy Counsel Doyle for her terrible legal advice in the beginning,allowing this travesty to start, and then later allowing the CSU-P administration to defame ProfessorMcGettigan in a public forum.

The Chapter officers would be happy to discuss any of the above points and other ideas for remediating thedamage that has been done to Tim McGettigan, to academic freedom on our campus, and to our institutionsreputation.

Regards,

Carol Loats, PresidentJonathan Poritz, Vice-PresidentLeticia Steffen, Secretary

CSU-Pueblo AAUP Chapter

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