A t a time when the Wainstein report has shaken this community’s faith in oversight at the University, the Progressive Faculty Network should be commended for pushing a view of the scandal with a wider perspective.
The group has successfully challenged flawed narratives associated with the report, including the racialized apportioning of blame and an overemphasis of individual wrongdoing over institutional pressures like the unbalanced relationship between academics and athletics.
They have also spoken out about the lack of job security for those who challenge the University.
Critics have questioned the legitimacy of this fear, pointing to the vocal nature of the Progressive Faculty Network.
But those critics fail to acknowledge the difference between speaking out about an issue before it is public knowledge and afterward.
The fact that professors were afraid to whistleblow about fraudulent behavior before the first reports about paper classes emerged is apparent given the importance of athletics to University stakeholders.
The professors at this university are in a unique position to pressure the system to behave ethically in a way that is difficult for transient students or administrators negotiating political, budgetary and bureaucratic concerns.
The complaints of the network should be taken seriously and its work celebrated.
