Statement addresses wartime academics

The setting may have seemed the same, but for students and faculty members, the circumstances could not have been any different.\nAs lectures, labs and discussions resumed as usual this week, a reality struck the campus that classes and learning must go on even as America is at war. Anticipating mixed feelings and opinions during classes, IU administrators released a set of guidelines for the campus community to follow during the Iraq conflict.\nThis statement of principles, written by a group of faculty earlier this month and approved by Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm, encourages free and civil expression about the war. It also instructs professors not to substitute war discussion for scheduled course work.\nRobert Eno, president of the Bloomington Faculty Council, was involved in issuing the statement, which intends to help teachers and professors address the issue of war in the classroom.\nHe said the University wanted to provide guidelines on whether to turn classes into a discussion on the war.\nWhen explaining the importance of the Iraq statement, released Sunday, Eno pointed to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. On the day of the attacks, a notice explaining how to respond to the tragedy within the classroom was not available to teachers until the following day.\nBy releasing the statement about the Iraq conflict to faculty members ahead of time, Eno said instructors will be better prepared to deal with the issue in class.\n"We wanted to make sure we could provide the guidance when needed, and this statement provides some really good guidelines," Eno said. \nIU spokesman Bill Stephan said the statement is an effort to provide good information to all parties affected.\n"It is important in a time of war, of extenuating circumstances affecting the country and (when facing) an issue that is going to be divisive, to reiterate University policy and beliefs regarding expression," Stephan said. \nThe statement makes it clear that students will be allowed to express their views in class if desired. \nAccording to the policy, "No limitation shall be placed upon the teacher's and librarian's freedom of exposition of the subject in the classroom, or library, or on the expression of it outside."\nWhile the University policy gives students the ability to express their thoughts freely, Eno said he wants to encourage students to be thoughtful.\n"I think (students) need to understand the University position strongly supports freedom of expression and affirmation of views," Eno said. "(The policy) is also equally supportive of civility."\nThe statement also says teachers "should not subject students to discussion in the classroom of topics irrelevant to the content of the course."\nEno himself encountered this situation in his class Monday. Since his lesson plan did not include material pertaining to the war, Eno acknowledged the war at the beginning of class and moved forward. He said the policy was instrumental in how he addressed the issue in his class.\n"It was very helpful to me that the task force came up with this policy," he said.