Making a List

CHRIS BURY (ABC NEWS)
(OC) Whether the professors are boring or committed or passionate, more so than their politics?

KELLY RAYBURN (UCLA, “DAILY BRUIN”)
Yeah. And I think, you know, political science students do consider the politics of the professors they’re taking. But they’re probably getting that more through word of mouth than through any web-site.

CHRIS BURY (ABC NEWS)
(OC) I want to get your take on, and Alston we can begin with you, on the very idea of rating professors, according to their political bias.

ALSTON RAMSAY (“DARTMOUTH REVIEW”)
I think it’s absolutely important. I mean, I think a lot of professors are sort of, down at the University of Texas, they’re sort of whining about how it’s going to affect their academic freedom. But the fact is, in an academic environment, you need to be able to accept criticism. And I think it’s also very important that the students know what they’re getting into when they get into these classes because, you know, they’re paying a lot of money to go to school. And I really, it’s not fair for them to be going into classes where they’re just not really learning anything, the professor’s not giving an even-handed approach to both sides of the story. So, I think it’s good. It allows the students to get what they want. And hopefully, like I said, it will keep the professors honest, to some extent.

CHRIS BURY (ABC NEWS)
(OC) Evan, as we heard in the piece from Mike von Fremd, one of the professors at the University of Texas felt that he was literally under surveillance. Is there some concern among the faculty that these things will turn into kind of a political witch hunt?

EVAN RYTLEWSKI (UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, “DAILY CARDINAL”)
Oh, certainly. I’d say there certainly is. I think that a lot of the faculty is concerned that what they’re going to say is gonna be restricted by these lists. Again, these lists aren’t a threat at Madison. But if you talk to any professors about it, we don’t particularly take kindly to any threat to what would be their free speech and their right to free speech.

CHRIS BURY (ABC NEWS)
(OC) And Kelly, what about UCLA? Has there been any concern expressed on the part of professors that these lists may, in some way, inhibit free speech?

KELLY RAYBURN (UCLA, “DAILY BRUIN”)
Yeah, there definitely has been. One web-site, in particular, campuswatch.org, has generated a lot of concern. One of the concerns faculty have there is that people can, this web-site is run by Daniel Pipes. And one of the concerns ...

CHRIS BURY (ABC NEWS)
(OC) Daniel Pipes, we should just point out is a, runs a think tank here in Washington and one that’s generally considered very pro-Israel.

KELLY RAYBURN (UCLA, “DAILY BRUIN”)
Right. And professors that are often criticized on that web-site are perceived to have anti-Israeli bias. One thing they are concerned about is that people can write in without giving their name. They can write in anonymously. And that does sort of create the idea that maybe people are spying on these faculty members, whether they are or not, you know, who knows? But it does upset some people.

CHRIS BURY (ABC NEWS)
(OC) Evan, what about you? Have you heard stories from the other end of the political spectrum? In other words, stories about conservative bias in the classroom from certain professors?

EVAN RYTLEWSKI (UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, “DAILY CARDINAL”)
Oh, certainly. I mean, it is more common to have a professor with a leftist bias. But you get conservative professors, as well. And in general, they’re pretty well-received at Madison. Students might make passing statements about them or make fun of their political beliefs or disagree. But in general, it’s a civil environment, where those viewpoints are respected, as well.