You heard it here first, folks!
First, apologies that the format is a little difficult to read. I can't make blogger put in blank lines for some reason.Also, my sidebar is kind of messed up from a post bleeding over, sorry. The rest of the sidebar is further down the page if you're desperate.
My notes from Fr. Jenkins' address:
Jan 24, 2006
12:30-1:30 PM
Washington Hall (full)
Fr. John I. Jenkins
Academic Freedom and Catholic Character
Introduction
In the coming weeks, we will seek the deeper questions.
Queer Film Festival (QFF) and Vagina Monolgues (VM) "at issue."
Not a "majority rules" decision, but will seek advice and opinions.
*Fr. Jenkins will make a decision and announce guiding principles.*
Historical context: many discussions this year about QFF, VM
name change for QFF
VM performed in classrooms, no ticket sales (ie fundraising)
"Certain events in certain situations may not be appropriate."
Academic Freedom - A Sacred Value
but have certain limits of expression
Example: Old, anti-Semitic script of Obergammau passion play.
Not problematic when studied, unofficially performed away from campus, praised individually by students or faculty
Problem: sponsorship, not scholarship
Catholic intellectual tradition is enriched by contact with opposing views, but cannot endorse those views.
QFF, VM appear to endorse a viewpoint in conflict with Catholic teachings.
VM has many laudable goals, BUT ignores viewpoint of Catholic sexual morality. Finds its performance problematic.
Guiding Principles
Let's focus on expressions protected by ND, not just the limits.
Core: faculty has freedom of expression.
Students enjoy freedom of inquiry and expression (within the bounds of decorum and relativeness to topic)
Students free to express their opinions.
The Observer (newspaper) has the freedom to serve the entire campus.
Student do not have the same academic freedom as faculty.
Explicit goal of ND: forming students' characters, instilling virtues beyond those of autonomy and independence.
Events sponsored by Departments
Differ from individual expressions of opinion
Influence our collective identity
"An event which has implicit or explicit sponsorship by a ND entity and content which is or appears to be egregiously contrary to Catholic teachings should not be allowed at Notre Dame."
Will not make a final decision until the community has time to speak, guided by reasonable arguments. He will listen to everyone's arguements (e-mail him at: studrsvp@nd.edu)
Student Questions
Alliance ND (GBLT) representative: will there be a formal way for students to participate in the decision-making process? E-mail. Final decision, since it concerns the character of the University, rests with Fr. Jenkins.
VM heals women...1/4 college women will be raped, how will we deal with this -- give me two specific ideas? Unwise to offer specific suggestions off the top of my head. Everyone feels passionately about this play - for and against. Can we find a means of campaigning against rape that everyone can agree on?
Several students offered prepared statements in support of the VM. Fr. Jenkins generally did not respond.
I think we have a choice: to become more academic or less academic. Does eliminating the performance of the VM make us less academic?
Is there a practical distinction between censorship and lack of sponsorship? I'm aware this will close some avenues, but not all of them.
Why is hiring a faculty member who espouses/teaches a different viewpoint different then promoting the VM for example? If we hired a majority of non-Catholics perhaps it would be different. I'm not concerned with the representation of different perspectives, just the overwhelming portrayal of support.
Please consider the alienating effect this will have on diverse members of the student body.
We (the leaders of the VM, etc) are the ones coming forward for intellectual conversation. Why can't we find more Catholics to engage in discussion with us?
Notre Dame will become stigmatized in the academic world.
Holding an event in the context of a Catholic University ensures that there will be discussion of it from a Catholic perspective. Yes, absolutely. So then [speaker paused, as if to say, "What's the point of your entire talk?" audience laughter]...why only have events that include the Catholic perspective if it will happen anyway. But why would you have a presentation, or a hypothetical conference, etc. that didn't have at least one person expressing the Catholic viewpoint? Why would you do that?
Will the public readings of creative writers in the English department still be allowed, even if the content is contrary to Catholic teaching? Their publication by an author identified as from ND? Yes, absolutely.
Is your main concern the availability for counterspeech? is that your guiding principle? Yes. Then why be concerned with events and not the general culture of campus? Are you afraid students will not be able to find Catholic perspectives on these issues on this campus? Or are you just concerned with outside appearance? [Audience laughter] To some extent - but it's because I'm concerned with inaccurate representation. If someone tells you that Fr. Jenkins believes X, when I believe exactly the opposite, I'd be concerned with that.
I don't see how academic freedom is limited if the VM can still be studied in class, just not performed.
Thank you, those are all the questions we have time for today.
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What I would have said if I could:
Nobody can argue that ND as a private institution does not have the right to limit what it sponsors, which puts the burden of proof, I think, on the departments or people who are sponsoring events to demonstrate how this event will not conflict with the mission of the university.
I may need to write a letter to the Observer, we'll see how vehement the response is.
posted by Jessica @ 1:50 PM
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