Free Speech at Bellarmine (Part Deux)

NOTE: If you find this before Monday, I can't send my response campus-wide from my home. I'll try to reply from my office (unless the administration has eliminated that e-mail function- Then I'll figure out something else to get this info out to the community)

LINKS

• Link to Student E-mails
• Link to Faculty E-mails
• Link to Administration and Staff E-mails

Original Letter from Dr. Rhodes

From:   Rhodes, Dr. Fred  Sent:   Fri 4/28/2006 4:25 PM  To:   .Official Staff Business; .Official Student Business    Cc:     Subject:   Inappropriate Communications  Attachments:

Recently, discriminatory emails and numerous Facebook and My Space postings that have circulated on the campus have come to our attention.  These communications and their content have harmed the Bellarmine community because they contain a message of racial, ethnic and homophobic hatred and mistrust.  Such attitudes and communications are contrary to the values of Bellarmine and will not be tolerated.  One of these incidents is currently under investigation by Student Affairs.   There are numerous affirmations of Bellarmine’s respect for all members of its community in the Student Handbook, the Faculty Handbook and the Staff Handbook.  As stated by President McGowan in the Student Handbook, “At Bellarmine, the God-given and therefore innate dignity and sacred value of each person, including yours, is deeply affirmed and respected.”  This message is further illustrated in the opening letter in the Student Handbook, of Dr. Fred Rhodes, Dean of Students, which states, “Bigotry cannot and will not be tolerated.”  The Student Handbook specifically prohibits “abusive language, including but not limited to profanity, threats, racist or degrading language, remarks or jokes. . .”   Each of us is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.  Consistent with these ideals, we strongly support the Bellarmine University Strategic Plan 2006-2011, which states “We commit to transforming Bellarmine into a community of true hospitality and service, present in the oldest Catholic communities, characterized by values and behaviors of purposefulness, openness and honest, caring, celebration, discipline, and social justice.”  Bellarmine can only be transformed through everyone’s commitment to an on-going process of collective dialogue and social interaction.  We challenge you to uphold these values and to insist that your fellow students and colleagues do likewise.   If you are feeling uncomfortable or would like to talk to someone, we encourage you to call or contact the Vice President for Student Affairs (452-8304), Campus Ministry (452-8051), Student Activities (452-8477) or the Counseling Center (452-8480).   This is sent to you on behalf of several members of the Bellarmine University community including:  The SGA President and Representatives, Deans and Directors in Student Affairs, the leadership of the Faculty and Staff Councils, the Office of Human Resources, and numerous individual students, faculty and staff.

Dr Bill's Response:

Friends, 

Here we go again! A few days before finals and a problem that’s been simmering on campus for the entire year is revealed at the worst possible time. I do not want to set off the fiasco of last semester, but feel compelled to comment.  

To avoid a replay, I will not answer any emails using the “reply to all” button. However, I will answer any inquiries personally. If there is a need by students, faculty, or staff to air their feelings, I will open up my web site again for students and staff to post their thoughts anonymously. If faculty write I will post their names unless they request otherwise. I will not post my answers to students, but will post them in response to staff and faculty. Use of the web site will allow us to have a public forum if you wish to participate without involving those in the Bellarmine community that do not wish to participate at this time and will avoid high intranet traffic at this important time of the semester.

I have set up the web site. Go to the main “Bellarmine Free Speech” link here: http://cas.bellarmine.edu/tietjen/Misc/E-mails.htm and then follow the link “Free Speech at Bellarmine (Part Deux)”. 

The same arguments that were addressed on both sides can be used here:

• Where do you draw the line?
• As a private institution Bellarmine can legally limit speech, but do we really want the school to be a Constitution-free zone?
• Since we all have to deal with these kinds of people on a daily basis when off campus, are we actually helping students by insulating them from a real-world fact, or should we try to figure out a way for those that are offended to better cope with these morons (the “sticks and stones” concept)?
• Aren’t we better off as a community when we can easily identify the bigots among us? Perhaps we can then at least try to educate them. Otherwise, they’ll simply go underground and will whisper their racial comments one-on-one to hurt the target of their bigotry. This results in an unenforceable policy based on a “he said she said” situation.
• You can’t enforce thought. Any attempts do so will fail and do we really want to try this on a campus of higher education? We should work on ways to change these attitudes.

Last semester several members of the SGA indicated to me that they stood on the side of First Amendment rights. I had the impression that this was SGA's position, but it may have been just a few. Also, several of the higher-ranking administrators indicated during our form on Free Speech and in e-mails that they also supported the free speech side of the argument. What has changed? How has the line been crossed here when it wasn’t before?

Just trying to help…

Bill Tietjen, Biology

-----Original Message-----
From: Wiegand, Joseph Richard
Sent: Tue 5/2/2006 10:37 AM
To: Tietjen, Dr. Bill
Subject:

Dr. Tietjen,

Briefly in response to your email, last semester SGA did not take a side on the "freedom of speech issue". Although many members of SGA had strong opinions and stances on both sides of the issue, because the Student Government is here to represent ALL students we felt that instead of taking a side, we should rather be an outlet for students concerns and discussion.

Joseph Wiegand
Former VP of Public Relations, SGA

Joe,

Thanks for the update. I'll place this on the first page. I did receive several e-mails from SGA members, but, as I said in my e-mail, I wasn't sure if those represented SGA's position. There may have been other members of the SGA who e-mailed me the alternative views, but I wouldn't have recognized them as members unless they identified themselves as such.

Thanks for clarifying this.

BillT