FREE SPEECH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21992, 29 June 1933, Page 9

FREE SPEECH

AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY STAFF "FULL LIBERTY PRESERVED" The following statement regarding the position of Auckland University College on the question of academic freedom of speech has been issued by Sir George Fowlds; president of the college:— As the attitude of the council has been represented in the present controversy as being in derogation of academic freedom of speech, I consider it myi duty to state the facts. 1. Early last year an incident occurred wherein a junior member of the staff expressed himself publicly upon certain political matters of a highly controversial nature. As he gave weight to Ins observations by signing it as from the Auckland University College, I asked the registrar to interview him and to say that I considered it an improper use, of the name of the college. That closed the incident as far as I was concerned. 2. As the publication referred to ' described the writer as being connected with the Auckland University College, the Minister of Education wrote to the council drawing its attention to the matter. The council, through the registrar, replied to the Minister explaining the view taken by the council on this subject. PRESIDENT'S MEMORANDUM. 3. It appeared to me desirable, in view of the likelihood of further public statements being made by members of the Ktuff of the college, to formulate a memorandum by way of guidance for the staff. 4. Thereupon a memorandum was prepared by me and circulated to all members of the staff: " In troubled times such as the present, feeling often runs very high in matters of a political and" social nature. The university has two definite duties to perform—that of exercising its old-established right of academic freedom of thought, and that of maintaining its right thereto. " I must point out that these two matters are complementary—abuse of the first inevitably makes the second very difficult of attainment. "It is my personal opinion that any public statement by a member of the college staff, either under the address of the college, or in his capacity as a private citizen, should comply with the prime basic requirements of all such statements. It should be made only after a full and thorough examination of all known information —that is, after a scientific analysis of all the aspects of the subject. It should be-a reasoned statement giving botll sides of the question—all controversial questions have two sides. The university .attitude should be a detached and impersonal one. " The college administration is in this matter entitled to every help and consideration from the members of the staff. It is not given to every man, merely because he is a member of the university, to be an authority on any given subject. As a general rule, the more fitted a man is to come to a reasoned conclusion upon any subject, the less likely he is to rush into print. The true humility of mind brought about by real learning is a definite check upon the intellectual arrogance engendered by a little knowledge. "The staff has a, right to expect the full assistance and protection of the college authorities —and the authorities for their part are entitled to demand that members of the staff will not by their utterances place the college authorities in an untenable position when defending to the uttermost the right and privileges of universities.

" I regard recognition, by members of the staff, of the responsibilities referred to in this memorandum as a matter of vital importance, and as being intimately related to the < question of fitness for tenure Of a university post. "'.Finally, my fixed purpose as president of the college is, ; and will he, to maintain and unphold our old-established university right of academic freedom. I sincerely hope that in "this matter I shall have the full and loyal confidence and eo-operation of you all." PROFESSORIAL BOARD'S SUPPORT. 5. This memorandum was also forwarded to the Professorial Board, which unanimously resolved as follows: —" That the members of the board, having perused individually the letter from the president, signify themselves as being in sympathy with the principles enumerated therein, and express their loyal co-opera-tion with him in the matter." 6. At the next meeting of the council the memorandum referred to, together with the resolution of the Professorial Board, was presented by me with,a view to obtaining the affirmation of the council to this declaration of insistence upon academic freedom; whereupon the council unanimously accorded it full approbation and confirmed and adopted the memorandum, i

7. No further action was taken by the council, nor did the matter arise in any form, until the registrar submitted his report to the council following his visit to overseas universities. The registrar cited the opinion expressed by the president of trustees of' an American university, at an American university conference, that it was impossible for any university man to divest himself of his university status and connection in making a j.ublic statement on any mutter of civic or national interest, and that therefore it was the duty of other members of the faculty to see that " any such ill-formed statement" should not stand unchallenged as the university point of view. The registrar reported:— After having given the whole question a great deal of consideration, 1 would recommend that every endeavour be made to leave university consideration of any narticular cases* in the hands of a standing executive academic committee of deans as a place for consideration in the first instance. If such a standing commitee were set up as representative of the academic side of the college, with instructions to handle such questions as this/on its own initiative as its own particular duty, there should be very little trouble in this regard. Most members of stall: are accurately estimated by their colleagues, and such judgment should carry sufficient weight to be accepted by the public. 8. This report was referred to the Professorial Board, which unanimously "resolved to approve the registrar's suggestion as above." PEOFESSORIAL BOARD'S DUTY. 9. The report of the registrar was considered by the council, and it was resolved: — (a) "That the Professorial Board be requested to set up an executive committee of five members (of whom two shall be the board representatives on council), for the purpose, inter alia, of dealing with matters referred to it by council." (b) " That the Executive Committee of the Professorial Board be instructed to handle all questions in regard to academic freedom of speech on its own initiative as its own particular duty, reporting to council when requested, and on such other occasions as it might think it desirable to do so." 10. A consideration of the foregoing history of the treatment of this subject by the- College Canncil in coatesi wisto

the Professorial Board will, I trust, remove any false impression which may have arisen as to the council's having attempted to curtail the academic liberties of its stuff or to institute; anything which can even remotely be regarded as a censorship. Ou the contrary, the council has taken a long step forward in protection of the liberties it has been accused of assailing. # Beyond the foregoing statement of facts I have no desire to take any part in the present controversy.