Recently the NIU Faculty Senate adopted a resolution—based on an earlier AAUP resolution—calling upon all universities to foster and defend artistic freedom on their campuses.

The Star’s report of this action (Nov. 14, 1990) includes statements by Prof. J. Patrick White, chairman of the Senate Committee on Academic Freedom, and Prof. J. Carroll Moody, Faculty Senate president, apparently denying this resolution would apply to cases like the Phi Kappa Sigma skit at Greek Sing a couple of years ago.

Prof. Moody, in particular, called such an application “stretching the coverage of this resolution.”

It seems clear to me that no “stretching” is required. The resolution is quite broad: not limited to freedom in the classroom, nor to the faculty’s freedom, nor to freedom in the fine arts.

It says simply, the university is not to censor or suppress any artistic expression; and a musical skit surely qualifies as artistic expression.

Prof. White has it right when he says: “(the Senate) would like to go on record as saying: ‘Yes this is offensive, but the university is not to be involved’.”

We all find it difficult really to embrace the principle of freedom of expression.

If you have the power to suppress expressions of which you disapprove, and which you think may have consequences harmful to society, what could be more natural than to use that power?

Jon Dalton, vice president for Student Affairs, thus acted naturally in punishing Phi Kappa Sigma for its tasteless and offensive skit. But in doing so, he was ignoring the deeper reasons in favor of freedom.

The content of the senate’s resolution is clearly opposed to such official repression; it demands that student artistic productions be tolerated, even if they violate the authorities’ standards of propriety and taste. By implication, it calls on the NIU administration not to repeat Dalton’s abuse of power.

But while the content of the official statement is clear, the faculty’s committment to its own statement is called into question by the unofficial shuffling reported in the Star article.

For my part, I can only hope the senate means what it said—that it wants to preserve freedom of expression at NIU. What a shame there is any room for doubt about it!

James L. Hudson

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Faculty Senate member