Dear UVM Students,
We write to inform you that as members of the faculty of the University of Vermont we have signed on to the American Association of University Professors’ “Open Letter Regarding the Professor Watchlist.”
You can find the letter and all of its signatories at https://www.aaup.org/open-letter-regarding-professor-watchlist.
The AAUP letter states:
“To Turning Point USA, the creators of the Professor Watchlist:
You claim that by creating the watchlist you “fight for free speech and the right for professors to say whatever they wish.”
But the creation of such a watchlist serves the opposite purpose. Such lists have been used since at least the 1930s to silence free speech, chill academic freedom, and harass faculty members.
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The American Association of University Professors has supported academic freedom and opposed those who seek to curtail it for more than a hundred years, and will continue to do so, because the common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition.
The type of monitoring of professors in which you are engaged can only inhibit the process through which higher
learning occurs and knowledge is advanced.
We support and stand with our colleagues whose academic freedom your list threatens. Therefore, we, the undersigned, ask that you add our names to the list.”
Turning Point USA describes the Professor Watchlist as having the mission “to expose and document college professors who discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom.”
While we stand together against discrimination directed at any group of students, we are deeply concerned about the underlying intent of this Watchlist to intimidate faculty and limit academic freedom.
Sincerely,
141 UVM Professors:
- Sarah Alexander, English
- Eve Alexandra, English
- Ellen Andersen, Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
- Kit Anderson, Environmental Program/RSENR
- JB Barna, Social Work
- Caroline Beer, Political Science
- Farryl Bertmann, Nutrition and Food Sciences
- Nancy Bianchi, Libraries
- Paul Bierman, Geology
- Sheila Boland Chira, English
- Adriana Borra, Romance Languages and Linguistics
- Antonello Borra, Romance Languages and Linguistics
- Vicki L. Brennan, Religion
- Patrick Brown, Community Development & Applied Economics
- Dona Brown, History
- Eileen Burgin, Political Science
- Chris Burns, Libraries
- Keith Burt, Psychological Science
- Sara Helms Cahan, Biology
- Sarah Carleton, Theater
- Jacqueline Carr, History
- Isaac Cates, English
- Sin-Yee Chan, Philosophy
- Yolanda Chen, Plant and Soil Science
- Anne Clark, Religion
- Selene Colburn, Libraries
- Michele Commercio, Political Science
- Catherine Connor, Romance Languages and Linguistics
- Meghan Cope, Geography
- Stephen Cramer, English
- Celia Cuddy, Social Work
- Terence Cuneo, Philosophy
- Daniel DeSanto, Libraries
- Sue Dinitz, English
- Prudence Doherty, Libraries
- Benjamin Eastman, Anthropology
- Maeve Eberhardt, Romance Languages and Linguistics
- Meaghan Emery, Romance Languages and Linguistics
- Joshua Farley, Community Development and Applied Econ
- Mary Alice Favro, Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Elizabeth Fenton, English
- David Feurzeig, Music and Dance
- Heather Fitzgerald, Environmental Studies
- Yolanda Flores, Romance Languages and Linguistics
- Daniel Mark Fogel, English
- John Forbes, Theatre
- Alice Fothergill, Sociology
- Kathy Fox, Sociology
- Pamela Fraser, Art and Art History
- Nancy Gauvin, Communication Sciences and Disorders
- John Gennari, English
- Dale Goldhaber, Education
- Jenny Grosvenor, English
- Anthony Grudin, Art and Art History
- Barry Guitar, Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Brenda Hamel-Bissell, Nursing
- Sayamwong Hammack, Psychological Science
- Susanmarie Harrington, English
- Nancy Hayden, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Paula Higa, Music and Dance
- Tom Hudspeth, Environmental Studies & RSENR
- Jennifer Hurley, Education
- Adrian Ivakhiv, Environmental Studies
- Victor Izzo, Plant and Soil Science
- Tony Julianelle, Mathematics & Statistics
- Danra Kazenski, Communication Sciences
- Mary Louise Kete, English
- Nikki Khanna, Sociology
- Jane Knodell, Economics
- Felicia Kornbluh, History and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
- Daniel Krymkowski, Sociology
- Scott Lewins, Plant and Soil Science
- Eric Lindstrom, English
- Don Loeb, Philosophy
- O. V. Lopez, RSENR
- Melissa Lourie, Theater
- Trina Magi, Libraries
- Patricia Mardeusz, UVM Libraries
- Teresa Mares, Anthropology
- David Massell, History
- Elaine McCrate, Economics
- Todd McGowan, English/Film and Television Studies
- Anis Memon, Romance Languages and Linguistics
- William Mierse, Art and Art History
- Libby Miles, English
- Beth Mintz, Sociology
- Charles-Louis Morand-Métivier, Romance Languages and Linguistics
- Harlan Morehouse, Geography
- Keith Morris, Permaculture Design / Green Building
- Dianna Murray-Close, Psychological Science
- Garrison Nelson, Political Science
- Hilary Neroni, English/Film and Television Studies
- Francis Nicosia, History
- Sarah Nilsen, English/Film and Television Studies
- Deb Noel, English
- Teage O’Connor, Environmental Studies
- Patricia O’Kane, Environmental Studies
- Patricia O’Kane, RSENR/Environmental Studies
- Holly Painter, English
- Cyrus Patten, Social Work
- Fiona Patterson, Social Work
- Mary Peabody, Extension
- Janice Perry, Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies
- Jennifer Pontius, RSENR
- Cynthia Reyes, Education
- Julie Roberts, Romance Languages and Linguistics
- Valerie Rohy, English
- Don Ross, Plant and Soil Science
- Kathleen Scollins, German & Russian
- Helen Scott, English
- Mary Ellen Seaver-Reid, Education
- Jean Sienkewicz, Social Work
- Riin Sirkel, Philosophy
- Dinah Smith, Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Brenda Solomon, Social Work
- Peter Spitzform, Libraries
- Clyde Stats, Music
- Thomas Streeter, Sociology
- Jennifer Strickler, Sociology
- John Summa, Economics
- Jessie Suter, Education
- Brian Tokar, RSENR
- Kevin Trainor, Religion
- Sarah Turner, English
- Chris Vaccaro, English
- Shelley Velleman, Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Shelley Vermilya, Leadership & Developmental Sciences
- John Waldron, Romance Languages and Linguistics
- Deane Wang, RSENR
- Jacqueline Weinstock, Leadership & Developmental Sciences
- Nancy Welch, English
- Julie Welkowitz, Leadership & Developmental Sciences
- Katherine Elmer Westdijk, RSENR/Environmental Studies
- Melissa Willard-Foster, Political Science
- James Williamson, English
- Stanley Witkin, Social Work
- Amanda Yonan, Biology
- Hyon Joo Yoo, English/Film and Television Studies
- Alex Zakaras, Political Science
- Eric Zencey, RSENR
- Brian Kent, English