SMU faculty split on Bush think tank
The faculty senate of Southern Methodist University split down the middle Wednesday on whether the campus should consider dissociating from a partisan institute that would be part of the George W. Bush Presidential Library.
The senate voted 13-13 on the resolution, which called on SMU to consider two options: reject any affiliation with the institute, to the point of not allowing it on campus; or make the institute nonpartisan and bring it under SMU's control. Three senators abstained; the measure failed to pass, because it lacked a majority vote.
About 40 senators and other faculty members attended the meeting, which was closed to the press.
The divided vote echoes the larger debate on campus over the Bush library, with most discord focused on its accompanying public-policy institute. As proposed by a library selection committee, the institute would report to a Bush foundation, not SMU.
"There is a genuine division in the faculty," said Professor David Freidel, who wants SMU to oversee the institute but could not vote because he's not a senator.
He said that on one side are professors who want more clarity on the role of the institute, with many fearing it would bring partisan politics to campus. On the other side, he said, are those who worry that the continued debate could make SMU lose the library, damaging the university's reputation and ability to raise money....
Also Wednesday, SMU filed a court motion to keep documents related to its library bid under wraps. The university is being sued by lawyer Gary Vodicka over the University Gardens condos, which SMU might use for part of the Bush library....
Read entire article at Dallas Morning News
The senate voted 13-13 on the resolution, which called on SMU to consider two options: reject any affiliation with the institute, to the point of not allowing it on campus; or make the institute nonpartisan and bring it under SMU's control. Three senators abstained; the measure failed to pass, because it lacked a majority vote.
About 40 senators and other faculty members attended the meeting, which was closed to the press.
The divided vote echoes the larger debate on campus over the Bush library, with most discord focused on its accompanying public-policy institute. As proposed by a library selection committee, the institute would report to a Bush foundation, not SMU.
"There is a genuine division in the faculty," said Professor David Freidel, who wants SMU to oversee the institute but could not vote because he's not a senator.
He said that on one side are professors who want more clarity on the role of the institute, with many fearing it would bring partisan politics to campus. On the other side, he said, are those who worry that the continued debate could make SMU lose the library, damaging the university's reputation and ability to raise money....
Also Wednesday, SMU filed a court motion to keep documents related to its library bid under wraps. The university is being sued by lawyer Gary Vodicka over the University Gardens condos, which SMU might use for part of the Bush library....