Statement of Principles

March 23, 2003

When classes resume on Monday, we can expect that our students will have questions and concerns about the war in Iraq. Earlier this month, a group of faculty, convened by Vice Chancellor Andrews, discussed this matter and developed the following statement drawn from current university policies. We urge you to read this statement and we hope you find it useful in the days to come.

Statement of Principles

Bloomington Campus faculty are deeply committed to the shared values of the University and of a democratic society. We believe in the importance of public debate and the discussion of diverse ideas, and in showing respect for the dignity and rights of all. Maintaining free and open encounters during times of crisis and disagreement requires particular sensitivity to the racial, religious, cultural and vocational diversity of the University community.

The opportunity to be a teacher carries with it the duty to teach, both in the fundamental sense of providing instruction in scheduled classes and in the larger sense of playing an active role in fostering critical thinking and learning about the issues that face us all. In assuming these responsibilities, faculty do not relinquish any of the rights shared by all members of a free society -- among them, the rights to speak and write on public issues, and to associate with others to influence public policy.

When we speak and act in our roles as faculty members, we must accept the guiding principles of reasoned discourse, intellectual honesty, mutual respect, and openness to constructive change. In times of crisis or great controversy, it is particularly important that we not deviate from these fundamental principles. By adhering to them in such times, we not only demonstrate the depth of our commitment to them, but also demonstrate to our students how members of an intellectual and democratic community should conduct themselves.

Because of the passions that war can arouse, we need to remind ourselves of the IU Policy on Academic Freedom, which states:

No limitation shall be placed upon the teacher's and librarian's freedom of exposition of the subject in the classroom, or library, or on the expression of it outside... In public utterances, the teacher and librarian shall be free of institutional control, but when either the teacher or librarian writes or speaks as a citizen, an endeavor should be made to avoid appearing as a spokesman for the University.

Even as the University respects and protects the rights of political expression and dissent for all members of its community, it emphasizes adherence to certain policies and procedures. The University and its faculty members and instructors have an obligation to provide instruction in classes scheduled on specific days and times. The University trusts the sound judgment of its faculty and instructors in fulfilling this obligation. When a faculty member or instructor cannot meet a class for any reason, he or she must arrange to cover the class or to provide an alternative experience that would meet the learning goals of the class. Canceling class to enable faculty, instructors, and students to participate in protests, teach-ins, and other forms of learning and expression is appropriate only when the educational experience of participation is relevant to the content of the class.

In responding to controversial events and adjusting the content and procedures of a course as the syllabus defines them, faculty members and instructors should be mindful of the diversity of beliefs and perceptions students bring to the classroom. It is also important to heed the guidance of the following University policies.

IU Policy on Academic Freedom: The teacher should not subject students to discussion in the classroom of topics irrelevant to the content of the course.

IU Code of Academic Ethics: Trust and respect are diminished when those in positions of authority abuse or appear to abuse their power. Those who abuse their power in such a context violate their duty to the University community. Faculty members exercise power over students, whether in giving them praise or criticism, evaluating them, making recommendations for their further studies or their future employment, or conferring any other benefits on them.

Faculty and associate instructors who wish to discuss the war in their courses might begin by stressing that, in view of the diversity of opinions on the war, teachers and students must be careful to respect the right of others to express their views, and that it is everyone's responsibility to maintain a classroom climate of openness and civility. Indiana University defines that responsibility in its Code of Academic Ethics:

The central functions of an academic community are learning, teaching, and scholarship. They must be characterized by reasoned discourse, intellectual honesty, mutual respect, and openness to constructive change. By accepting membership in this community, an individual neither surrenders rights nor escapes responsibilities as a citizen, but acquires additional rights as well as responsibilities to the entire University community. They do not require the individual to be passive and silent. They do require recognition of how easily an academic community can be violated.

As indicated throughout this statement, Associate Instructors also play a crucial role in the instructional process on the Bloomington campus. Department chairs and Directors of Graduate Studies should make sure that AIs are provided appropriate guidance on how to respond in the current context. We would recommend, for example, that this statement of principles be discussed with them.

We very much appreciate your attention to these matters.

Sharon S. Brehm, Chancellor
Moya Andrews, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculties
Robert Eno, President, Bloomington Faculty Council