Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels pledged to promote academic freedom when he became president of Purdue University in January, but newly released emails show he attempted to eliminate what he considered liberal "propaganda" at Indiana's public universities while governor.
Emails obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request show Daniels requested that historian and anti-war activist Howard Zinn's writings be banned from classrooms and asked for a "cleanup" of college courses. In another exchange, the Republican talks about cutting funding for a program run by a local university professor who was one of his sharpest critics.
The success of those efforts remains unclear; Zinn's book, for example, is still used in some courses for aspiring teachers. But Daniels did launch an expansive push while governor to change what courses those hopeful teachers could take for credit at Indiana colleges. That effort is ongoing.
Read the emails: http://apne.ws/15jG8Ji and http://apne.ws/1bGAQMO
Mitch Daniels responds: Mitch Daniels defends academic freedom, calls story about emails 'erroneous'
The emails are raising eyebrows about Daniels' appointment as president of a major research university just months after critics questioned his lack of academic credentials and his hiring by a board of trustees he appointed.
Ken Paulson, president of the First Amendment Center, said it's not unusual for governors or mayors to denounce art, music or popular culture. But he said he couldn't find any other examples of governors trying to censor political opponents.rest http://www.indystar.com/viewart/20130716/NEWS/307160061/As-governor-Mitch-Daniels-looked-censor-academic-writings-courses
It is a questionable success and a very strange form of freedom. I think that students should be allowed to hear many opinions and it is up to them to what whether believe or not. It is a very “American way” of dealing with different facts. It very much seems like imposing his personal opinion which is certainly incorrect. So, smart people should stand against this rule. If someone wants to write a dissertation (or buy a dissertation online) about Howard Zinn’s writings, then he should have this right!
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