Administrators say profs shouldn't participate in moratorium

The administration recently urged professors to rethink plans to suspend classes for a day if the United States wages war against Iraq.

In a memo sent to all faculty members, Dean of Arts & Sciences Susan Ernst and Dean of Engineering Vincent Manno wrote: "We write to remind all faculty of your obligation to offer your regularly scheduled classes." Though Ernst and Manno stressed that missing class was not appropriate, they encouraged professors' participation in discussions outside of class and said they should find other ways to protest the war if they were opposed to it.

The organizers of the moratorium, members of the Tufts Coalition to Oppose War on Iraq (TCOWI), are also planning a teach-in at Goddard Chapel, which administrators have encouraged. "A teach-in is perfectly within professors' rights and responsibilities as a faculty member," Ernst and Manno said in the memo.

Though at least 12 professors have agreed to suspend classes the day after war is declared, many professors will choose to discuss current events without canceling class. "I did want to do something to respond to war," history professor Steven Marrone said. "If war comes up I plan on taking the time in class to talk about it. My students and I have already scheduled discussion time outside of class."

Originally, there was some concern that professors might try to impress their ideas on unwilling students. The memo from administrators reminds professors that "members of the Tufts community will have differing views that should be respected within the classroom."

Although the administration has now specifically asked professors to remain in class in the event of a teach-in, it is unclear how they would respond if professors ignore that request. "I think that it is inappropriate to talk about punishment before anything has happened," Ernst said. "Just as with students, we remind the faculty of their responsibilities but don't talk about any sort of punishment."

But one of the benefits of tenure is that professors can act in ways they deem reasonable without having to worry about a backlash from the administration. "With tenure comes academic freedom -- the academic freedom to conduct curriculum in a scholarly fashion," Manno said. "We really don't view this as a confrontational issue."

Many professors have planned time for special consideration of the war without canceling class to participate in the teach-in. "If war started, I'd hold a discussion in class," sociology professor Matt Gregory said. "I agree with the idea of the walkout, but I also understand that all students don't have the same beliefs."

However, Gregory said he would not penalize students who participate in the moratorium.

Professors who feel strongly about the potential war still believe a moratorium is important. "My feeling is when war breaks out, faculty opposed to the war should indicate that to their students and take part in the planned gathering in the chapel," history professor Gary Leupp said. "Something like suspending classes and indicating to students that we don't think it is business as usual, that is appropriate."

The last time classes at Tufts were affected by world events was on Sept. 11, 2001. That day, many professors jettisoned their syllabi in favor of a discussion about the day's events. Others cancelled class entirely.

"When 9/11 happened, instead of teaching my class I wheeled in a TV and we watched," said physics professor Gary Goldstein, one of the leading faculty members on TCOWI. "I allowed people who wanted to leave to leave and we discussed the events that were unfolding. One can hold class at the usual time but turn the discussion to the events in the world."

Though the theme of the moratorium is "no business as usual," administrators stress that universities occupy a place outside of the norm.

"I ask, what is our business?" said Charles Inouye, Dean of the Colleges. "I think our business is to prevent war, and have free discussions. It doesn't make sense to stop our business. We should choose a time to discuss when we aren't teaching, and I say this as a professor."