Texas College Professors Oppose Transparency By Taxpayers
Excerpts from the article above. “A law (HB 2504) requiring Texas’ public colleges and universities to post detailed course information online will take effect this fall, stirring a debate between advocates of transparency and academic freedom.
“Texas legislators unanimously passed House Bill 2504 in May 2009, making it the first of its kind in the nation. State universities will be required to post professors’ syllabi, curriculum vitae, published works and salaries. Attendance costs and departmental budget reports also must be posted.”
“The information must be searchable, accessible without a user name or password and no more than three links away from the school’s home page.”
“The Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors requested a repeal of the law in its June newsletter. The group said the law is an unfunded mandate that would have a chilling effect on classroom discussion of controversial subjects.”
Murray Leaf, speaker of the Faculty Senate at the University of Texas at Dallas, said that despite the bill’s portrayal as a measure promoting transparency, it displays “an insulting mistrust of higher education faculty.”
“Faculty in the United States decide the curriculum,” Leaf said. “We are largely autonomous. The people behind this bill are opposed to that and are trying to undermine it.”
Wow-the arrogance. Can you imagine if we let these types of professors have absolute control of curriculum standards in public schools? You will never get to see the actual content until your child brings the information home, if the teacher allows him/her.
The vote on this bill was unanimous. http://www.journals.house.state.tx.us/hjrnl/81r/pdf/81RDAY83FINAL.PDF#page=648