The Voice

Recently, I participated in a panel on good government held by the League of Women Voters. What was most intriguing was when the conversation turned to how society as a whole is more interested in celebrity or personality than in the issues at hand. Relate the concept to government and it’s like saying the only reason for governmental dysfunction is because bad and corrupt people have taken over. If this were true, then the throw-the-bums-out mentality would solve the problem and create good government that works for everyone.

I am afraid that this way of thinking fundamentally misses the real problems facing us.

To be sure, there are plenty of examples of public officials who work for themselves and not the public. But that’s not what we should be focused on. The discussion should be about putting together a political system that works. Unfortunately, society’s preoccupation with politicians’ individual peccadilloes stops that from happening.

Everyone—whether in business, higher education or state, local and national politics—is caught in a whirlwind of talk about reorganizing our economy, our educational system and myriad other policies. The breakdowns in the banking and housing markets have started a trend for reform, not only of these institutions, but of all institutions.

The calls for reform and reorganization in SUNY are part of this wave. Over the past few months, the State Education Department (SED) has proposed reforms to teacher certifications, allowing for alternative certification outside of higher education institutions. The so-called Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act (PHEEIA) is a University-led reform proposal that has been debated by the Legislature.

In times of stress, our community looks to us to be a stable and well-reasoned voice on the issues. We need to realize there will always be calls for change, some reasonable and others not. We also need to understand that those calling for change are doing so because they believe in the changes they are putting forth.

SUNY has more than 2.5 million alumni and more than 80 percent of them live in New York state. How we activate them to protect SUNY is the newest project Phil has asked me to oversee.

The UUP/Alumni Project is simple. We’re starting with UUP members who are SUNY alumni and asking them to talk to other alumni about the needs of the SUNY campuses where they went. Who better than our member/alumni to reach out and explain how the cuts to SUNY have changed life on campus, and not for the better?

As an alumnus of two SUNY campuses, Oswego and the University at Buffalo, I have been struck by how no one from either campus has asked me to fight for more SUNY funding. Calls come from the alumni association for contributions, but they never ask me to fight the cuts. This needs to change. If we could get 1 percent of alumni to write one letter, that would be 25,000 letters for our cause.

As with freedom of the press, academic freedom’s basis is in the First Amendment right of freedom of speech. Both have come under fire by those in power who have seen reporters and professors as standing in the way of their prerogatives. The U.S. courts have never looked at freedom of speech as an absolute right, but have looked to balance the First Amendment against other social interests, rights and principles. It is through extra constitutional means that academic freedom and freedom of the press become strong.

The courts have ruled in cases like Miller v. California [1973] that obscenity does not have a First Amendment right, or in Branzburg v. Hayes [1972] that a reporter cannot protect a source under freedom of the press. In both cases, the Supreme Court noted the limits it put on freedom of speech and agreed it might have a chilling effect. But the court noted that protecting children in the first case and ensuring a fair trial in the second are more important.

The issue of academic freedom has come to the fore again with the case of the Binghamton basketball scandal. At its heart, the question is whether all students can expect fair treatment or whether those of privilege will get a free ride. This time, it is about basketball players and grades. In Illinois, it was about needing to “know someone” to even get accepted into the university. Each new revelation attacks the basic integrity of higher education and puts all of the work we do in jeopardy.

The importance of academic freedom is not just as an individual member’s right, but rather as a social right, one that ensures basic fairness in the higher education system. By allowing each UUP member to exercise his or her right to teach classes without interference and to speak out on important issues without retaliation, we protect more than an individual’s rights—we protect the integrity of our system.

The world has changed for many of our students and our colleagues. On our campuses, they may face overcrowded and canceled classes. They will also bring the pressures and problems from the outside world too.

As I watched a television report on a town hall meeting, it struck me that many of those who were most upset seemed to be under a great deal of stress. They were not just upset about the possibility of a national health plan, but found these town hall meetings and their congress persons the only place where they could let off the anger they have about all of the problems in their lives. Many said they had lost their jobs or were about to lose them. Some told how they had lost their nest eggs or learned their houses are no longer worth what they thought. Their worlds have turned upside down.

In our classroom, we—not the congressperson—will be at the podium and may face this anger from our students.

Taxes are always a hot button issue, and at UUP’s 2009 Winter Delegate Assembly, our delegates unanimously supported a progressive tax increase as the fairest way to share the pain of the current economic downturn. I was asked to take up the issue on behalf of the union.

I was happy to go around the state to make the case for a progressive tax system and the increased tax revenues it would yield to ensure the state’s stability. Of course, this is only half the battle. Now that the Fair Tax Act has been passed, we need to make sure we get our fair share. We must make sure the additional state revenues it will raise will help protect our students’ access to the high-quality public higher education that SUNY provides.