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Students for a Democratic Society, Herrnstein lecture, February-June, 1972

1972-03-14 Daily Iowan Article: 'AAUP passes resolution asking speaker protection'

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As a result of the Herrnstein incident, a resolution calling on "university officers to take active steps to guarantee an undisturbed expression of views by any scheduled speaker" was unanimously passed by members of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) last night. The resolution, which was proposed by Assoc. Prof. Joseph Frankel, will be forwarded to the University of Iowa administration. It was termed "symbolic of AAUP's concern of academic freedom of speech," according to John Huntley, president of the local AAUP chapter. A move to recommend to the administration a plan to prevent the occurance of similar events was tabled to allow for further study. Several AAUP members were not certain that Herrnstein had been denied his academic freedom of speech since he did not attempt to take the podium. A committee was set up to look into the incident and draw up a definitive statement on academic freedom of speech. Other members said that Herrnstein should not have had to fear for his safety when speaking. Debate over whether Herrnstein was academically responsible to debate his article on genetic inheritance was dropped because it was pointed out that he came to speak on behavior choices of pidgeons. Assoc. Prof. John B. Heneman, who cancelled his classes in protest of the university's poor handling of the Herrnstein affair moved that "a professor's academic freedom to speak on his specialty should not be limited or effected by the opinions he holds, or the social implications of those opinions." The motion was dropped in favor of Frankel's resolution, which called for an administrative guarantee that similar events be prevented. Faculty group appoints panel on Herrnstein A Subcommittee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the protest against a speech here by Harvard Prof. Richard J. Herrnstein has been appointed by J. Richard Wilmeth, chairman of the University of Iowa Faculty Council. The three-man committee will be chaired by Carl S. Vestling a professor of biochemistry. Other committee members are David P. Carew, professor of pharmacy and John S. Thompson, professor of internal medicine. Wilmeth said the subcommittee will interpret its duties broadly and investigate the demonstration against Herrnstein "from all available sources of information." In other action, the council approved some minor changes in the wording of a proposed procedure for hearing charges against faculty members and procedures for faculty grievances. The Faculty Senate will be asked to approve the changes at its meeting Thursday.
 
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