Resolution in Opposition to Senate Bill 24
Central State University University Senate
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 24, also sometimes described as an
academic bill of rights
, has been introduced into
the 126th session of the Ohio General Assembly; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 24, if adopted into law, would impose serious and unnecessary restrictions on the methods of teaching, research, and grading used by college and university faculty; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 24 contains language so vague as to invite frivolous and unwarranted legal challenges to critical aspects of academic life on the university campus; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 24 is unnecessary because the student rights that it purports to guarantee are already protected by policies in student handbooks and other policies in university faculty agreements; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 24 imposes a chilling redefinition
of academic freedom and thereby threatens the pursuit of
excellence in teaching by insisting that faculty not
introduce controversial matters into the classroom on a
persistent
basis; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 24 recognizes that Knowledge
advances when individual scholars are left free to reach
their own conclusions about which methods, facts, and
theories have been validated by research
, Senate Bill
24 contradicts itself by proposing unnecessary legislative
restrictions on the judgment of faculty experts in their
fields as to how to best teach their subject matter;
and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 24 seeks to alter a higher education system that is recognized for excellence and has attracted students from around the world to Ohio;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Academic Senate of Central State University vigorously opposes Senate Bill 24, both in spirit and in substance;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this Resolution shall be provided to the Ohio Faculty Council and to the Academic Senate or similar body of institutions of higher education within Ohio.
Approved in the regular University Senate meeting held on 2/24/2005 with two dissenting votes.