Chico State Student Newspaper on Academic Freedom
The editorial staff of the Orion, the student newspaper at Chico State University, have written an article entitled “Academic Freedom Not a License to Say, Do Anything.”
They write:
Professors should have the freedom to push the envelope to get students thinking instead of letting them fall asleep and drool on the desks during class. But there are some teachers who overstep their bounds. [...] Students are here to learn, but they shouldn’t come to class worrying about being verbally attacked or harassed by their instructor.
I disagree with their next statement which asserts that students are customers. They may pay a fee for a service, but students are students, not customers. But overall, bravo Chico student writers. It’s good to know that students are understanding the true meaning of academic freedom.
I suppose we should specify what they mean by verbal attacks (e.g., on what grounds–failing to do the reading?) and harassment.
Students are more like “clients” than “customers”: they pay to be helped in their education, and just like in the doctor’s office, it’s not true that the ‘customer is always right.’