Good-bye academic bill

By:

Colleen Buhrer

Christopher J. Ortiz

Willow Welter

After all the hype and controversy, the academic bill of rights

was pulled before a vote at the Colorado General Assembly by Rep.

Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, a bill sponsor.

According to a Denver Post article, Mitchell has reached an

agreement with the presidents of Colorado colleges to continue

discussions about each college’s commitment to make sure grievance

procedures address political diversity.

Rep. Mark Larson, R-Lamar, called the bill “micromanagement at

its worst.” The editorial staff agrees with Larson and supports

Mitchell’s decision to pull the bill.

The bill, from the beginning, undermined universities’ ability

to manage their own problems. It took power away from universities

and gave it to the state government over classroom material and

what can and cannot be discussed on campus and in classrooms.

The editorial board never agreed with the bill. The Associated

Students of CSU Senate passed a bill opposing the academic bill of

rights.

We are glad that the state legislature had faith in the state

universities’ ability to handle their own problems. Now

universities will be under the microscope to see how they handle

grievances from students who feel their political views are not

welcome in classrooms or that professors are pushing their own

political agendas inappropriately in classrooms.