ramsey@polya.Stanford.EDU (Ramsey W. Haddad) (06/10/89)
A number of months ago rec.humor.funny was removed from all the Stanford University computers administered by AIR (Academic Information Resources). This action has received national reportage. Now that this action has been rescinded, the news of the restoration of rec.humor.funny to those computers deserves equally widespread reportage. Below are two messages announcing the restoration. ------------------------------ >From: JMC@SAIL.STANFORD.EDU (John McCarthy) >Date: 9 Jun 89 15:21:00 GMT >Subject: Academic freedom wins and rhf restored I just received the following message from Professor Arthur Coladarci, the Academic Secretary of Stanford. The bureaucratic history is as follows. Prof. Robert Street, v-p for Information at Stanford decided to ban the newsgroup rec.humor.funny in January, and this decision was announced by Ralph Gorin director of Academic Information Resources and John Sack, Director of the Stanford Data Center over their own names. There was protest including resolutions by the Computer Science Department Faculty and Computer Science Department Students and a petition whose names were collected by electronic mail. President Donald Kennedy of Stanford announced that he was referring the issue to the Academic Senate. The Steering Committee of the Senate asked the Senate Committee on Libraries for a recommendation on the general principles that applied. The Committee on Libraries recommended that electronic information be treated in the same way as printed information, i.e. that it should not be censored and kept available, subject only to cost considerations. The Steering Committee agreed with this recommendation and told Professor Street, who reversed his previous decision. Otherwise, the matter would have been taken up by the Senate as a whole. The outcome is therefore entirely satisfactory, and it took less than six months. Thanks to everyone who helped in this battle to extend the same freedom to read that applies to printed media to computer media. >>Date: Fri, 9 Jun 89 07:54:29 PDT >>To: jmc@sail >>From: "Arthur P Coladarci" <CR.APC@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU> John: As you already may have heard, Bob Street has decided to reconnect rec.humor.funnry to the Stanford computer systems. This action will be reported to the Senate next Thursday. Art Coladarci ------------------------------ >From: kolk@shelby.Stanford.EDU (Dan Kolkowitz) >Subject: rec.humor.funny >Date: 9 Jun 89 18:22:48 GMT is back on the air on the standard channels. Below is the statement that came from Bob Street and 2 of the IR directors announcing the reversal: June 9, 1989 The Steering Committee of the Faculty Senate referred the matter of the computer news group known as rec.humor.funny to the Academic Council Committee on Libraries. The Committee on Libraries reported: The Preamble to the Statement of Academic Freedom (1977) states that "Expression of the widest range of viewpoints should be encouraged, free from institutional orthodoxy and from internal or external coercion." It is the view of the Academic Council Committee on Libraries that this statement pertains to materials received on computer bulletin boards on campus. By his letter of 31 May 1989, Arthur Coladarci, Academic Secretary to the University, informs us that the Senate Steering Committee accepts this advice from the Committee on Libraries and requests that we return the bulletin board to our systems. We abhor the misuse of University facilities to convey messages that perpetuate racism, sexism, and all forms of intolerance. Such materials are present without our endorsement. We are grateful to our colleagues for their thoughtful deliberations and for their reaffirmation of the vital importance of the free exchange of ideas. We have accepted the advice of the Committee on Libraries and the request of the Senate Steering Committee. We have reconnected this news group to our computer systems. Robert L. Street Vice President, Information Resources Ralph Gorin John Sack Director, Director, Academic Information Resources Stanford Data Center -- Ramsey W Haddad