Academic Freedom: How Marquette Demonstrated Their Lack of Respect for It
[Last weekend, my brother and I had a conversation about Jodi O’Brien’s experience with Marquette, and I told him that if he wrote up his thoughts, I’d be happy to put them here. Now that he has, I’m even happier to: they’re well-considered, focused, and well expressed, which is why you should read this. But mostly you should read it because it’s important.
The following is a guest blog by Conor Mahoney:]
The Marquette University Faculty Handbook states:
(a) The teacher is entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of results, subject to the adequate performance of his/her other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.
When I think of the purpose of a university, I often think it is two-fold: to teach students to think intellectually and intelligently and to be an institution of ongoing learning and research. At least, as a student at a Jesuit school, it is my understanding that the intellectual practice of research is integral to not only obtaining a good education but to the fundamental beliefs on which education is built. Time and again, we learn the lessons of Galileo’s struggle and the Church’s persecution of him as a result of his beliefs. We are taught that the lack of scientific freedom at the time was a tragedy. But does the line stop with the hard sciences? Is academic freedom less important in sociology, political science, and anthropology? Are they subjects we can study, but without deserving the same respect and freedom in findings the “hard” sciences, with their scientific method and fancy tools, command?
It hardly seems reasonable that the absolute respect we are taught regarding the pursuit of knowledge only extends to the hard sciences. No, it must extend through to the farthest reach of the university’s departments. The same respect for the value of ideas and research must be given to the literature department as to the chemistry department.
When Marquette’s president, Father Robert A. Wild, rescinded the job offer of the Dean of Arts and Sciences from Jodi O’Brien, citing the contents of Jodi O’Brien’s academic writings as the reason, he made clear that academic freedom only goes so far. The statement above should be revised:
(a) The teacher is entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of results, subject to the adequate adherence of his/her findings to dogmatic duties; and research with potential for controvery should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.
To be clear, Jodi O’Brien was not a professor at Marquette at the times of these writings but across the country at Seattle University, another Jesuit institution. Thus, Fr. Wild’s choice to rescind the offer isn’t actually a violation of the school’s policy on academic freedom, even if it is a violation of many other policies, laws, or stated missions of the school. Still, it sends a very clear message to all faculty at Marquette University that their academic writings may bear heavily on their career’s future, not for their integrity and quality, but for their political and social ramifications.
Whatever other issues and problems (of which I hope there are many) that come about as a result of this horrendous choice by the president, this one seems irreparably damaging to the intellectual community at the school. It is absolutely fundamental to the success and health of a university that the faculty who make up the university have a firm belief in their ability to state the conclusions of their research. The integrity of academic research is crippled by a fear that to state the accurate conclusions of one’s research may hinder one’s future at the university. Will a moderately liberal professor doing research now alter his findings towards results that might be slightly more favorable to the president’s beliefs in his hope that he might someday be able to apply for a higher position at the university?
There must be a clear and demonstrated line between the merits of an individual as an academic and the church’s opinion on their academic findings. Otherwise, the integrity of the academics at the school is compromised.
[Conor’s a student at Seattle U. Aside from thinking and writing smart shit, he is probably one of this city’s best-informed, awesomest, and humblest experts on coffee. Yes, I know we live in Seattle. No, I’m not exaggerating. Read his coffee blog.]
