Class boycott to show support for academic freedom

Class boycott to show support for academic freedom

protest, Dr. Michael Kay, censure

This article gives a comprehensive account of the situation with the AAUP and Dr. Michael Kay's wrongful termination. Students and faculty on campus planned a boycott of classes for one day to show their support for Kay. The ramifications of the university getting censured by the AAUP is also described. The AAUP told Kay that his case will likely have to be brought in front of the whole school in a formal hearing, which happened later.

Kent Del Rossi

Quad Angles

Special Collections, Francis Harvey Green Library, West Chester University

1970-02-10

Maria Marabito

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https://digital.klnpa.org/digital/collection/wcnp01/id/13879/rec/26

Moratorium on Thursday By KENT DEL ROSSI On Thursday, Feb. 12, there will be a moratorium on classes here at West Chester. The Moratorium, organized in classes and two open student meetings.Meetings in Philips The first of these student meetings will be held in philips Memorial Auditorium at 10 a.m. At twelve noon there will be a picket in front of Philips Memorial. Later, at 3 p.m. there will be another student meeting in Lawrence Center, to which President Rossey and Interim Dean Fllano have been invited. A candlelight march will be held at 10 p.m., ending the day of moratorium. While the moratorium has not been sanctioned by the administration, Larry D'Antonio, President of IGA, urges all students concerned with academic freedom to participate. AAUP The issue of academic freedom has been one of great controversy over the last few months. In the vanguard of the issue is the case of Dr. Michael Kay. The latest episode in this conflict of academic freedom was the visitation of two members of the national American Association of University Professors (AAUP) to this campus on January 27. As to the importance of these visitors, there is a difference of opinion between Dr. Fllano, Interim Dean of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Kay. Dr. Filano View Dr. Filano, one of the members of the administration whom the AAUP visited, stressed the fact that this meeting was an informal meeting, a fact-finding meeting. He believes that the two members of the AAUP were here only to acquaint themselves with the issue, to hear both sides of the story. Dr. Filano felt that the outcome of the meeting was positive. He said that the administration has followed AAUP policy to the letter in the handling of the Kay case, and that he does not expect any problems with the AAUP. As Filano put it, "We firmly believe that we have handled the situation in the best manner possible and in the best interest of all the students." According to Dr. Filano, the topic of censure was never mentioned at this meeting. Kay's View However, Dr. Kay viewed the visit differently. Kay said that the AAUP representatives came in response to a letter he sent to the Washington office. Dr. Kay also stated that the representatives were here because 'they felt that the case merited an immediate action on their part to attempt to get the administration to see the seriousness of the situation." The reason Kay notified the AAUP was that he felt that administrative actions were dubious and open to investigation. The AAUP came here, Kay indicated, order to show concern for alleged violations of academic freedom by the administration, centers around an all-day boycott of Class boycott to show support for academic freedom to head off the necessity of a formal investigation with the possibility of censure being the outcome.Full-scaled Hearing? The AAUP reportedly outlined to Dr. Kay that they feel his case has to go before a fullscaled hearing at the college. If this committee feels that Kay is in the right they could appeal the case and ask for the decision to be reversed. If there is no hearing the AAUP would immediately begin a full-scale investigation. If the administration ignores the decision of this committee (assuming that it is in Kay's favor), the AAUP may decide to start procedures to censure the college. Kay stated that "unless there is a reversal of the decision, it is my firm belief based upon past experience, knowledge of how AAUP has acted In previous cases of this type, and statements made to us by the two representatives of AAUP that the school will be censured.'1' Censure When asked what effect censure might have on the college Kay stated that the effect would not be immediate. However, the effect would be felt over a period of a few years. Kay said, "If censure occurs, a vast majority of qualified Individuals would avoid the college. The closer one gets to mediocrity in effectiveness in teaching the less effect censure would have." Dr. Rossey gave a different view. When asked if AAUP censure would have any effect on the college, he said, "Not at all; well I shouldn't say not at a 11... it affects us to the extent that there will be some union-oriented professors that will not come here. But that's the only way it affects us."