A Web site launched by a student group at the University of Colorado at Boulder followed by proposed legislation are the most recent efforts in a growing trend to keep the personal political views of professors out of the classroom at public universities.
The Web site, set up by the CU-Boulder College Republicans, has a form for students to register complaints about incidents of political bias in classrooms. Only a few days after the site's launch, a Colorado lawmaker introduced legislation that would require public institutions to provide outlets for students to challenge discrimination because of their political beliefs.
While there haven't been any similar efforts yet at MSU, some still feel that it is an issue worth shedding light on.
"A lot of professors use their classes as a bully pulpit," said Tim Phelps, first vice chair for the MSU College Republicans. "You don't want to go to your (Integrative Studies in Biological Science) class and hear a half-hour lecture about how Bush is the next Hitler."
Sherman Garnett, dean of MSU's James Madison College, said politics can have a place in the classroom as long as they are discussed in a manner that makes everyone comfortable to voice opinions.
"I think the line between teaching and politics is sometimes blurred," he said. "There's an academic responsibility here; if you're going to teach controversial things, do it in a way that you're open to challenge."
Those close to the issue said that it's not an attack on personal beliefs.
"It's not necessarily the fact that some professors are excessively liberal," said Brett Johnson, former state chairman of the Colorado Federation of College Republicans. "The message is more the fact that there is a lack of views portrayed on the other side."
Students for Academic Freedom, a national organization started by conservative activist David Horowitz in an effort to protect students from discrimination based on political views, works with the CU-College Republicans.
"It's an issue a lot of students can identify with," said Sara Dogan, Students for Academic Freedom's national campus director. "Either they, personally, or friends of theirs have experienced this."
Students for Academic Freedom's popularity is growing through media coverage of issues such as the CU-College Republicans' Web site. Dogan said the organization already has 110 chapters on campuses across the country.
But some students, such as journalism freshman Leeann Thill, don't think political bias is a big problem on campus.
"I've never really run into that," she said. "I don't really have a problem with that as long as it doesn't distract from lessons."
