Newsgroups: alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk Path: eff!kadie From: kadie@eff.org (Carl M. Kadie) Subject: Draft Statement on Computers and Academic Freedom (CAF) Message-ID: <1991Oct26.210722.29271@eff.org> Organization: The Electronic Frontier Foundation Date: Sat, 26 Oct 1991 21:07:22 GMT Lines: 148 This is an attempt to codify the application of academic freedom to academic computers. It reflects our seven months of on-line discussion about computers and academic freedom. It is made up of two kinds of statements. The first, labeled as principles, are premises. The second, labeled as interpretations, are conclusions drawn from the principles. The two kinds of statements can be thought of as axioms and theorems. An axiom (principle) is most likely to be criticized for being unreasonable. A theorem (interpretation) is mostly likely to be criticized for not following from the principles. Comments and suggestions are very welcome (especially when posted to CAF-talk). On the documents referenced are available on-line. Access information is at the end of this note. - Carl ------------------------------------------- I. General Principle: The principles of academic freedom apply to academic computer systems. Computer polices should be consistent with general university codes and widely accepted statements on academic freedom such as the Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students. II. Policy Formulation Interpretation: "The institution has an obligation to clarify those standards of behavior which it considers essential to its educational mission and its community life. These general behavioral expectations and the resultant specific regulations should represent a reasonable regulation of [user] conduct, but the [user] should be as free as possible from imposed limitations that have no direct relevance to his education. Offenses should be as clearly defined as possible and interpreted in a manner consistent with the aforementioned principles of relevance and reasonableness. Disciplinary proceedings should be instituted only for violations of standards of conduct formulated with significant [user] participation and published in advance through such means as a [user] handbook or a generally available body of institutional regulations." [Joint Statement] II. Student and Faculty Discipline Principle: Suspension or expulsion from a computer is a serious penalty. Users facing these penalties should be given due process protection similar to that given to those facing other serious penalties such as a formal disciplinary warning, a failing grade for cheating, or suspension from class. Interpretation: "Pending action on the charges, the status of a [user] should not be altered, or his [or her] right to be present on the campus and to attend classes [and use computers] suspended, except for reasons relating to his physical or emotional safety and well being, or for reasons relating to the safety and well-being of students, faculty, or university property." [Joint Statement] III. Privacy Principle: Personal files on university's computers (for example, files in a user's home directory) should have the same privacy protection as personal files in university-assigned space in an office, lab, or dormitory (for example, files in a graduate student's desk). Private communications via computer should have the same protections as private communications via telephone. IV. Computer Expression Interpretation: "Academic institutions exist for the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the development of students, and the general well-being of society. Free inquiry and free expression are indispensable to the attainment of these goals. As members of the academic community, students should be encouraged to develop the capacity for critical judgment and to engage in a sustained and independent search for truth." [Joint Statement] Principle: The principles of intellectual freedom developed by libraries should be applied to the administration of information material on computers. These principles are explained in such American Library Association documents as the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read Statement, and the Intellectual Freedom Statement. Interpretation: Computer sites that offer newsgroups should select newsgroups the way that traditional libraries select magazines and books. Interpretation: "Every [academic computer] system should have a comprehensive policy on the selection of [information] materials." [ALA Workbook for Selection Policy Writing] Interpretation: "Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval" [Article 2, Library Bill of Rights]. Principle: The principles of academic freedom applicable to student and faculty publication in traditional media, apply to student and faculty publication in computer media. Interpretation: An article or note posted by a student to a newsgroup is a student publication. Interpretation: "Student publications [and the publications of other users] are a valuable aid in establishing and maintaining an atmosphere of free and responsible discussion and of intellectual exploration on the campus. They are a means of bringing [...] concerns to the attention of the faculty and the institutional authorities and of formulating [...] opinion on various issues on the campus and in the world at large." [Joint Statement] Interpretation: "The institutional control of campus facilities should not be used as a device of censorship." "[User publications] should be free of censorship and advance approval of copy ..." [Joint Statement] Interpretation: "All university published and financed [user] publications should explicitly state [...] that the opinions there expressed are not necessarily those of the college, university, or student body. [Joint Statement] ANNOTATED REFERENCES [References Updated on 4/25/95 - cmk] (All these documents are available on-line. Access information follows.) ================= academic/student.freedoms.aaup ================= * Student Freedoms (AAUP) Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students -- This is the main U.S. statement on student academic freedom. ================= library/bill-of-rights.ala ================= * Library Bill of Rights (ALA) ================= library/freedom-to-read.ala ================= * Freedom to Read Statement (ALA) and Association of American Publishers. It says in part: "We trust Americans to recognize propaganda, and to reject it. We do not believe they need the help of censors to assist them in this task. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be "protected" against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression." ================= library/int-freedom.ala ================= * Intellectual Freedom Statement -- American Library Assoc An interpretation by the American Library Association of the "Library Bill of Rights" ================= README ================= * Computers and Academic Freedom (CAF) Archive The CAF Archive is an electronic library of information about computers and academic freedom. If you have gopher, the archive is browsable with the command: gopher -p1/CAF gopher.eff.org If you have Mosiac or some other WWW client, go to http://www.eff.org/CAF/cafhome.html It is available via anonymous ftp to ftp.eff.org (192.77.172.4) in directory "pub/CAF". It is also available via email. For information on email access send email to ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com. In the body of your note include the lines: connect ftp.eff.org cd /pub/CAF get caf cd /pub/CAF/faq get archive For more information, to make contributions, or to report typos contact J.S. Greenfield (greeny@eff.org). ================= ================= If you have gopher, you can browse the CAF archive with the command gopher gopher.eff.org These document(s) are also available by anonymous ftp (the preferred method) and by email. To get the file(s) via ftp, do an anonymous ftp to ftp.eff.org (192.77.172.4), and then: cd /pub/CAF/academic get student.freedoms.aaup cd /pub/CAF/library get bill-of-rights.ala cd /pub/CAF/library get freedom-to-read.ala cd /pub/CAF/library get int-freedom.ala cd /pub/CAF get README To get the file(s) by email, send email to ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com Include the line(s): connect ftp.eff.org cd /pub/CAF/academic get student.freedoms.aaup cd /pub/CAF/library get bill-of-rights.ala cd /pub/CAF/library get freedom-to-read.ala cd /pub/CAF/library get int-freedom.ala cd /pub/CAF get README Carl Kadie -- I do not represent EFF or my employer; this is just me. =Email: kadie@eff.org, kadie@cs.uiuc.edu = =URL: , =