AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS

Legislative Action Alert – March 18, 2004

“Advisory Board” For International Studies Proposed

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions is considering legislation that would establish an advisory body to “review, monitor, apprise, and evaluate the activities” of international studies programs, to assure that the programs are designed and implemented to “meet the national need” and “reflect diverse perspectives and the full range of views on world regions, foreign languages and international affairs.”

AAUP POSITION

This provision is part of a bill that reauthorizes international studies programs.  The Association strongly supports the reauthorization and expansion of these programs -- they are even more critical under present global circumstances.  But the Association strongly opposes Section 633 of the bill, which would establish an "International Advisory Board."

YOUR COLLEAGUES IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES NEED YOUR HELP

Individual faculty members need to speak out.  The establishment of this board would be a major departure from the respect Congress has traditionally shown for academic freedom on campuses, and would bring political monitoring directly into the classroom.

Contact your Senators now about your opposition to establishment of the International Advisory Board in the International Studies in Higher Education Act (currently known as HR 3077).  If your Senators serve on the HELP Committee this is especially critical, but if not ask your Senators to contact those who do.  Is one of your senators on that committee?  See “ACTION RESOURCES” below.

BACKGROUND

When the bill first came up in the House last summer, the AAUP joined in testimony from higher education associations that rejected allegations of bias in these centers, and called for the reauthorization of Title VI without unnecessary layers of governmental review.  But the bill passed the full House on a voice vote last October, including the objectionable Section 633.  HR 3077 has now been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). Some form of this legislation will eventually become “Title VI” of the Higher Education Act.

Section 633 of the bill establishes a politically appointed “International Advisory Board.” The purpose of the Board is to "annually review, monitor, apprise, and evaluate the activities of grant recipients [for international studies programs] based on the purposes and objectives of this title," and make annual recommendations to Congress and the Secretary of Education. Though the Board is nominally only an “advisory” body, it will advise the Department of Education on the degree to which academic programs in international studies “meet the national need” and “reflect diverse perspectives and the full range of views on world regions, foreign languages and international affairs.”  The Department, of course, is the funding agency for these programs, so the “monitoring” and “advising” activities of the board could carry dire political and monetary consequences for some programs.

The bill grew out of conservative assertions that Title VI International Studies programs reflect an anti-American bias and discourage students from working for the U.S. government.  The proposed response, to monitor and report on specific aspects of the content of these programs, sets a dangerous precedent for government oversight and approval of academic content in other areas as well.

A number of state legislatures have already tried to control or influence teaching activities by withholding funds from public institutions.  This is the first attempt by the federal government (in recent memory) to achieve similar objectives.

ACTION RESOURCES

To send a message to your senator – especially if he or she serves on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) – Click here or go to the AAUP’s On-Line Action Center at:  <www.aaup.org/govrel/ActionCenter/HELPcommittee.htm> Direct links to the senators’ e-mail and web-mail addresses (and fax numbers) are there for your convenience.

If neither of your senators is on this committee, send your message to the Chairman, Senator Judd Gregg and to ranking minority member, Senator Ted Kennedy.  Their e-mail addresses are, respectively, mailbox@gregg.senate.gov and senator@kennedy.senate.gov .

“Talking points” to assist you in writing your letter are available in AAUP’s On-Line Action Center.  Click here or go to www.aaup.org/govrel/ActionCenter/Sec633points.htm

To review the AAUP letter to the Senate HELP committee on this issue, click here or go to http://www.aaup.org/govrel/hea/2004/HR3077Coallet.htm 

See also The Wisdom Will Survive  from Academe, Jan/Feb 2004, available on the web site at http://www.aaup.org/publications/Academe/2004/04jf/04jfgr.htm

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

Hold a letter writing session during the first 15 minutes of your next chapter meeting.  These letters should faxed, rather than sent by postal mail. Click here for a list of Senate fax numbers, or go to www.aaup.org/govrel/ActionCenter/HELPcommittee.htm

Staff a letter-writing table outside the next faculty senate meeting or other major gathering place of faculty and/or students.  (See note above about postal mail.)

Circulate a joint letter in your department.  (Though individual letters are better than petitions, a joint letter signed by 10 to 20 people has some weight.)

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper, educating others in the community about this legislation.  When your letter is printed, fax it, with a personal note, to your senators.