Faculty Discuss Attacks, Use of Technology

There was little debate as members of the administration and faculty stood in turn to voice their support of a resolution condemning terrorism that eventually passed unanimously.

"Our hearts are bruised, and our minds are boggled," said Sue Estroff, Faculty Council chairwoman.

Faculty members also were undivided in their support of the University's protection of free speech.

Since the audience's silence that characterized Chancellor James Moeser's address during a gathering in Polk Place the day after the attacks, many voices have been raised, Estroff said.

Moeser said faculty members should not allow their fear and anger to cause them to close their minds and borders to new ideas and individuals. "As concerned as we are, we don't want to close the campus," he said.

In that vein, Moeser said the University remains committed to establishing a presence in the Persian Gulf with the creation of a business school in Qatar. University officials postponed a trip to Qatar scheduled for last month because of the attacks.

Moeser also said the University is drafting a letter opposing legislation that would place a six-month moratorium on student visas, which has been proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Moeser said the University is home to students from 100 different countries and that this moratorium would be detrimental, especially to the University's graduate programs.

Estroff condemned intolerance and recommended the University take a more active role in eliminating discrimination against minorities by avoiding scheduling exams and important assignments on holy days for religions with large minorities on campus. Estroff said this came to her attention when she was informed that a major pathology midterm had been scheduled for Yom Kippur.

In addition to discussing matters pertaining to the attacks, the Faculty Council also sent a resolution aimed at promoting the use of information technology in the classroom back to one of its committees Friday to be reworked.

The resolution was re-referred to the committee after the council split it into several sections, the first three of which were voted down.

Some faculty said they thought the resolution put unfair emphasis on the importance of information technology in classrooms.

Several faculty members said good teachers do not necessarily need information technology in the classroom and that teachers who use information technology are not automatically good teachers.

Estroff agreed with the statement but urged members not to draw generalizations that are too broad. "It is important not to divide the people who teach and the people who use technology."

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