Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • An

    Uploaded by

    Courier Journal
    9K views6 pages
    An Open Letter to President Benson and the Board of Regents

    Original Title

    an

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    An Open Letter to President Benson and the Board of Regents

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    9K views6 pages

    An

    Uploaded by

    Courier Journal
    An Open Letter to President Benson and the Board of Regents

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 6

    The Faculty of Eastern Kentucky University

    521 Lancaster Avenue


    Richmond, KY 40475
    10 October 2018

    Michael T. Benson
    Office of the President
    Coates 107
    Eastern Kentucky University
    521 Lancaster Ave.
    Richmond, KY 40475

    Dear President Benson,

    We, the undersigned members of the faculty of Eastern Kentucky University, write to express our
    profound opposition to the Donald J. Trump for President Campaign, which is organizing a rally to take
    place at Alumni Coliseum next Saturday, October 13th. Our opposition to the campaign does not arise
    from any differences of opinion with the political content that is likely to be put forth at the rally: as a
    group, we among the faculty subscribe to a diverse set of political beliefs which mirror those of the
    student body and the Commonwealth as a whole, and we are fully committed to encouraging the
    expression of that diversity of beliefs. Yet we must object to this campaign which has consistently,
    openly, and unambiguously attacked the values of inquiry, learning, and free speech which lie at the
    heart of higher education and form the core mission of this University.

    The assault on those values by the Donald J. Trump for President Campaign is not a matter for debate: it
    is a fact attested to by the actions and words of its representatives and especially those of its leader.
    Moreover, almost no component of higher education has been spared from these attacks. Towards the
    physical and biological sciences, the campaign has consistently and deliberately sought to undermine,
    not any particular fields or hypotheses, but the very legitimacy of the project of scientific inquiry. By
    casting doubt on the motives and methodologies of the scientific community, the campaign has
    denigrated the committed work of countless investigators—including many of our colleagues here at the
    University—and has made many students and aspiring scientists question the value of pursuing scientific
    careers. The campaign’s assault on the humanities and social sciences has been, if anything, even more
    insidious. They have perverted argumentative techniques that look for multiple meanings in human
    endeavors by asserting instead that there are multiple “alternative truths” that need not be proven but
    only enforced by the exercise of political and economic power and, when necessary, violence. In this
    way the campaign has sought to foreclose the possibility of the real interpretation and evaluation of
    ideas: practices that lie at the center of our mission as a university and which are codified in our
    Strategic and Quality Enhancement Plans.

    As much as we are troubled by this campaign’s direct attacks upon the work of higher education, they
    are not the most compelling reasons for our opposition to the Donald J. Trump for President Campaign.
    Since its inception in 2015, the campaign has sought to discredit the very foundations of shared
    discourse and free speech upon which academic inquiry and civil society rest. Their representatives have
    worked to silence and discredit opponents rather than entering into dialogue with them, while those
    Michael T. Benson Page 2 10 October 2018

    same representatives have objectified and demonized countless minority and disenfranchised groups
    who have made easy targets for their exclusionary rhetoric: these groups include, but are not limited to,
    women, people of color, immigrants, and the LGBTQA community.

    The threatening rhetoric of the Donald J. Trump for President Campaign has been so virulent that in the
    few days since this rally was announced, many faculty members have reported hearing from students
    who are concerned for their physical safety. We want to acknowledge that the fears of these students
    are fully justified and are founded in the attested fact that real acts of violence have occurred at and
    around other rallies sponsored by this campaign in the past three years. We sincerely hope that all
    measures humanly possible will be taken to ensure the well-being of every single person on campus in
    the time leading up to, during, and after this rally.

    We note with great frustration that ensuring the safety of rally attendees, protesters, students, staff,
    and faculty will put a great financial burden on the University, the City of Richmond, Madison County,
    and the State of Kentucky at a time when budgets for all are very limited. From an economic perspective
    alone, the rally is certain to have a negative impact on our community. Moreover, both the rally itself
    and the necessary security presence required by it are sure to present a significant obstacle to the
    educational work of the University, which will still go on in spite of the event.

    We, the undersigned faculty of Eastern Kentucky University, feel both a professional and a moral
    obligation to object to a campaign which has already done so much to undermine the values of learning,
    inquiry and responsible citizenship that we all work daily to cultivate in our students; we also regret the
    disruption to the lives of students and the work of the University that this rally is sure to have. We affirm
    our belief that the United States of America is already, and has long been, a great nation, and we profess
    that the best way to maintain that greatness is through the technological development, intellectual
    discipline, and ethical growth that can only be achieved through a commitment to education and
    learning.

    Signed,

    Angela Aaron, Ph.D. Erin Aiello Gaby Bedetti


    EKU Counseling Center Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Dept. of English
    Family and Consumer
    Sarah Adams Sciences Pam Black
    EKU Libraries Assoc. Professor, Social Work
    Dominic J. Ashby Program
    Stephanie W. Adams, MSW, Dept. of English
    CSW Dr. April Blakely
    Director, Social Work Michilyn Bhandari Assoc. Professor &
    Program Dept. of Health Promotion & Coordinator of Graduate
    Admnistration Programs, Dept. of
    Chad Adkins Curriculum & Instruction
    Institutional Effectiveness & Heather Beirne
    Research EKU Libraries
    Michael T. Benson Page 3 10 October 2018

    Anthony P. Blose Gregory Conley Daniel L. Fulks, PhD, CPA


    Dept. of Physics and Dept. of Languages, Cultures, Adjunct Faculty
    Astronomy and Humanities NCAA Research Consultant

    Jeffrey Boord-Dill Manuel Cortés Castañeda Joe Gershtenson


    Asst. Professor of Theatre Assoc. Professor of Spanish, Dept. of Government
    Coordinator, Dept. of
    Dr. Lisa Bosley Languages, Cultures and Alana Ghent
    Dept. of English Humanities Assoc. Professor of Theatre

    Vicki Brashear Deborah Core, PhD José Juan Gómez-Becerra,


    Dept. of American Sign Professor Emerita, Dept. of Ph.D.
    Language and Interpreter English Dept. of Languages, Cultures
    Education and Humanities
    Patrick J. Costello
    Diane Brewer Foundation Professor Shana L. Goggins, LPCA
    Dept. of Psychology Emeritus, Dept. of Instructor, Interdisciplinary
    Mathematics and Statistics Programs, Appalachian
    Tom Butler Studies
    Dept. of English Jackie Couture
    EKU Libraries Jonathan Gore
    Patrick J. Calie, Ph.D. Dept. of Psychology and
    Professor, Dept. of Biological Dr. Lisa Day, Associate URCE
    Sciences Professor, Dept. of English,
    Director of Interdisciplinary Donnie Grayson
    Dr. Marco Ciocca Studies Dept. of English
    Dept. of Physics and
    Astronomy Chris Dewhurst, Senior Darryl Halbrooks
    Lecturer Professor Emeritus, Dept. of
    Dr. Kelli Carmean School of Justice and Safety Art and Design
    Professor, Department of
    Anthropology, Sociology & April Duckworth Cynthia Harter, Ph.D.
    Social Work Appalachian Studies Assoc. Professor, Dept. of
    Director, KIIS Program Accounting, Finance and
    Sarah Evan, Adjunct Information Systems
    Ross C. Clark, Ph.D. Professor
    Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Appalachian Studies Julie Hensley
    Biological Studies Dr. John Fitch III Professor, Bluegrass Writers
    Dept. of Communication Studio
    Chad C. Cogdill
    Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Anne Fleischer, PhD, MPH Catherine Herdman
    Communication Assoc. Professor, Adjunct Faculty
    Occupational Science and Appalachian Studies
    Victoria Collins Occupational Therapy Dept.
    School of Justice Studies Derek Holcomb
    Margaret M Frozena, Dept. of Health Promotion &
    Lecturer Administration
    Dept. of English
    Michael T. Benson Page 4 10 October 2018

    Nancy Jensen Melony Martínez, MAS, BA Meagan Murray


    Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Adjunct Spanish Professor, Office of Institutional
    English Dept. of Language, Cultures Effectiveness and Research
    & Humanities
    Robert Dean Johnson Gerald Nachtwey
    Dept. of English Betsy Matthews Dept. of English
    School of Justice Studies
    Ronald L. Jones Chris Neumann
    Foundation Professor Shannon Ryan McCarthy Dept. of English
    Emeritus, Dept. of Biological Asst. Professor of Graphic
    Science Design, Dept. of Art and Laura Newhart, Ph.D.
    Design Dept. of History, Philosophy
    Dr. James R. Keller and Religious Studies
    Chair, Dept. of English Nancy McKenney
    Co-Vice President, EKU Jordan Newman, Adjunct
    Dr. Peter B. Kraska Chapter of AAUP Instructor
    School of Justice Studies Dept. of English
    Molly McKinney
    Susan Kroeg Dept. of Health Promotion & Teri Nowak, PhD
    Dept. of English Administration Dept. of Psychology

    Paula Kopacz, Ph.D. Stephanie McSpirit, PhD Clinton M. Nowicke


    Dept. of English Dept. of Anthropology, Dept. of Psychology
    Sociology and Social Work
    Jessica C. Lair, Ph.D. Thomas C. Parker
    Dept. of Physics and Robert L. Milde Adjunct Faculty, Dept. of
    Astronomy Dept. of English Government

    Erik Liddell Bethany L. Miller, Ph.D. Jill Parrott, PhD


    Dept. of Languages, Cultures Women & Gender Studies Assoc. Professor, First-Year
    and Humanities, EKU Honors Institutional Research & Writing Coordinator
    Program Effectiveness
    Rose Perrine
    Christina Lovin, MFA Marie Mitchell Assoc. Dean, College of
    Senior Lecturer Dept. of Communication Letters, Arts, and Social
    Dept. of English Sciences
    Hollis Moore
    Karoline Manny, Ph.D. School of Justice Studies Karen Petronio, Ph.D.
    Adjunct Faculty, Dept. of Professor, Dept. of American
    Languages, Cultures, and Courtnie Morin Sign Language & Interpreter
    Humanities Dept. of English & Dept. of Education
    Interdisciplinary Studies
    Dr. Travis L. Martin, Rodney B. Piercey
    Instructor Rick Mott Dept. of Physics and
    Interdisciplinary Programs Dept. of English Astronomy

    Bill Mullen, Senior Lecturer


    Dept. of English
    Michael T. Benson Page 5 10 October 2018

    Dr. Mark Pitts Dawn L. Rothe, PhD Dorothy Sutton


    Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Chair, School of Justice Foundation Professor &
    Physics & Astronomy Studies Emerita Professor, Dept. of
    English
    Bonnie C. Plummer Judah Schept
    Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Assoc. Professor, School of William Sutton
    English Justice Studies Emeritus, Dept. of English

    Gary Potter Laurel Schwartz Dr. Gay Sweely


    Dept. of Criminal Justice & Dept. of Health Promotion & Assoc. Professor Emeritus of
    Police Studies Administration Art History, Dept. of Art &
    Design
    Christine Privott John Settimi
    Dept. of Occupational Dept. of Agriculture Felicia Szorad
    Science and Occupational Professor, Dept. of Art and
    Therapy, Women and Dr. Brent Shannon Design
    Gender Studies Dept. of English
    Travis Townsend
    Erin Presley John C. Shearer Dept. of Art and Design
    Department of English Dept. of English
    Kenneth Tunnell
    Dr. Kevin R. Rahimzadeh Tara Shepperson Foundation Professor &
    Dept. of English Educational Leadership & Professor Emeritus
    Policy Studie
    Esther E. Randall Ashley Twehues
    Professor, Dept. of Art and Kimberly Siahkoohi Office of Institutional
    Design Dept. of English Research

    Charlotte Rich Carter Sickels Jose L. Varela-Ibarra


    Department of English Asst. Professor of Creative Dept. of Languages, Cultures
    Writing, Dept. of English & Humanities
    C. Michael Rich, Ph.D.
    Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Charles Mason Smith, Ph.D. Carolin Walz
    Languages, Cultures and Dept. of English Senior Lecturer, Dept. of
    Humanities English
    Dr. Young Smith
    Sarah Richardson Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Amanda Wangler
    EKU Libraries English Adjunct Faculty, Dept. of
    Languages, Cultures, and
    Gary Ritchison Tracy Spigelman Humanities
    Dept. of Biological Sciences Dept. of Exercise & Sport
    Science James B. Wells
    Carl Root School of Justice Studies
    Lecturer, School of Justice Tara Stevens,
    Studies American Sign Language & Matthew P. Winslow
    Interpreter Education Dept. Dept. of Psychology
    Michael T. Benson Page 6 10 October 2018

    Neil H. Wright
    Professor Emeritus of
    Humanities

    Dr. Socorro Zaragoza


    Assoc. Professor of Spanish,
    Dept. of Languages, Cultures,
    and Humanities

    CC: Eastern Kentucky


    University Board of Regents

    You might also like