Letter to the editor

Pluralism valid goal for the classroom

Professor Mitchell Chang claims (“Potential legislation
may restrict freedom of California professors,” A Closer
Look, Oct. 12) that faculty freedom of expression in the classroom
will be threatened if the Academic Bill of Rights is passed. He
adds, “Students would have the ability to sue their
professors personally if a balanced perspective was not
offered.”

These charges are baseless and absurd. The bill promotes
intellectual diversity, civility and fairness, not
“balance.” The bill states that “exposing
students to the spectrum of significant scholarly viewpoints on the
subjects examined in their courses is a major responsibility of
faculty.” This view is shared by the American Council on
Education and 29 other organizations, in a statement which says
that “Intellectual pluralism and academic freedom are central
principles of American higher education.”

Sara Dogan

National campus director, Students for Academic Freedom