"The University places high regard on the values of inclusion, civility, respect and individual worth and remains committed to supporting an environment where all students, faculty and staff are valued and respected regardless of their views or orientations. However, it is also important for all of us to understand that no matter how any member of this community feels about a message imparted by any person or group, the University fully recognizes the First Amendment rights of others to free speech and is committed to this principle of freedom of expression.The great diversity of our campus provides fertile ground for open discussion on contradictory viewpoints and these dialogues must always be encouraged, regardless of the nature of the content."Christine A. Bouchard, Vice President for Student Success, University at Albany"
and the free speech rights of Jim Deferio:
In her e-mail to students, UAlbany Vice President for Student Success Christine Bouchard said some asked 'why the university would allow uninvited individuals the right to speak on our campus on such controversial topics.'"'We believe it is important for all of us to understand that no mater how any member of this community feels about the message imparted by these three individuals, the University, as a public institution, recognizes the First Amendment rights of others to free speech,' she wrote.
"The university may also be recognizing its right not to get sued. A similar situation with another preacher arose at Schenectady County Community College, which wasn't as welcoming. The preacher was acquitted of trespassing last year and filed a federal lawsuit against the college and local officials."
Parry, Marc. "UAlbany offers free speech reminder." Albany Times Union. October 16, 2008: D3. http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=7067895 (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6JDqfl6YM
)
When it comes to students reporting academic dishonesty, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, etc. — things UAlbany (disingenuously) encourages students to report, Bouchard sings quite a different tune.
Clarence "Incompetent" McNeill to Christine Bouchard and others:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Mt-S77wZKfZmY2YzFJNEpmMVU/edit?usp=sharing
full e-mail header:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Mt-S77wZKfRTN1eGhEcUFTQjg/edit?usp=sharing
The e-mail attachment:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Mt-S77wZKfQ3d5dzh3Y0VUSXc/edit?usp=sharing
McNeill's e-mail with its coercive prior restraint on freedom of speech, inquiry, association, movement, etc. without due process makes reference to a supposed prior "cease and desist" that McNeill had claimed the UAlbany police were enforcing and yet which "Chief" J. "Pigskin" Wiley had denied, in writing, that the UAlbany police possessed.
The December 9th "good morning" e-mail McNeill falsely, outrageously claimed to be a "cease and desist" and that John Murphy claimed was a "cease and desist order," in turn made reference to McNeill's December 8, 2011 10:39 AM e-mail (contained within my December 8, 2011 11:39 AM reply) in which he threatened me that I needed to forget untenured visiting assistant "professor" Michael W. Barberich, a so-called "instructor" I'd reported to McNeill for academic dishonesty, sexual harassment, retaliation, etc. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Mt-S77wZKfRGU5X0FDYUFPams/edit. How to forget was not explained, but why was: McNeill threatened the possibility of litigation against me for harassment in the wake of my reporting Barberich. Is it any wonder that so few students at UAlbany feel free or safe or obligated to report academic dishonesty, sexual harassment, retaliation, or worse? And yet McNeill's somehow been the head of the SUNY-wide judicial administrators group, which makes one wonder just how bad the other judicial administrators might be.
Bouchard had earlier pawned off questions about McNeill's threats on Murphy, over my objections that she should handle the matter:
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Bouchard, Christine"Subject: RE: McNeill's Dec. 9, 2011 cease & desist order: valid & enforced by UPD or not?
Date: July 2, 2012 10:50:26 AM EDT
To: Christopher Philippo
Cc: "Murphy, John M"
Dear Christopher:
I read your email and am looking into the answers to your questions. Mr. McNeill is on vacation, so I have asked my Associate VP, Mr. John Murphy, to research your questions and get back to you.
I also apologize about the May 19 email. I was copied on that email, and incorrectly assumed that your questions were addressed.
Thank you for your patience.
Christine A. Bouchard
Vice President for Student Success
University at Albany
Her middle name is "Assume," I'll assume. For her subsequent response, see
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7Mt-S77wZKfdXBadVd5QkpVWms/edit?usp=sharing
UAlbany is willing to back its retaliatory threats with its corrupt UAlbany police, a department with a history of firearms violations that includes their chief firearms instructor advising a member of the department (who had a major area drug operation at her home) to bring all her personal weapons on campus because he feared she might use them at home in an emotional fit. Why he wasn't afraid she'd use them in an emotional fit on campus somehow didn't worry anyone to whom he'd made that crazy claim. That same chief firearms instructor then took her improperly stored departmental weapon out of her locker while she was under investigation by the State Police and the DEA, and took her unregistered "junk gun" to his own home - claiming he believed that gun (a gun even the NRA had testified against) had sentimental value. The list of firearms violations goes on and on. When unarmed students witnesses and/or victims, alumni, or their families are being threatened and there's a corrupt armed police force backing the threats, is it any wonder that UAlbany's crime stats are miraculously, suspiciously low?
The US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, in turn, is OK with coercive prior restraint on freedom of speech, inquiry, association, movement, etc. without due process that is backed by a corrupt, armed police department with a history of firearms violations. The problem, I'm guessing, might be that the head of the Department of Education, a crony pick by President Obama of the man who was his lucky pickup basketball partner from Chicago of all things, had appointed UAlbany's Provost to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and had made that appointment on the recommendation of Nancy Zimpher. Appointing anyone from UAlbany to such a committee was ludicrous, given UAlbany's party school reputation, the Louis Roberts plagiarism scandal and lingering unanswered questions involving it, etc. As time goes on more and more scandals involving UAlbany come to the surface, like the abuse of sabbaticals where people who had no intention of returning were being paid, etc.
If Obama could admit he made a terrible mistake by appointing his buddy Arne "Basketball" Duncan, perhaps he could extricate himself somehow thereby. Otherwise, the President continues to have a hand in undermining the integrity of higher education in America and a hand in undermining the security of campuses and the safety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
Obama's former senior advisor, campaign manager, and director of speechwriting will be visiting the UAlbany campus. What will they talk about: freedom of speech? academic integrity? the Clery Act? For my own part, I'd expect not anything of substance, but rather lots of empty rhetoric, buzzwords ("change!"), and the like - which would fit in nicely with UAlbany's false representations about victims' rights, protection from retaliation, its false representations about freedom of speech, and so many other things... including the very "World Within Reach" program that is bringing those three men to campus:
Haven, Cynthia. "'World within reach'? We think not. Stanford replies to Albany." The Book haven. November 20, 2010. http://bookhaven.stanford.edu/2010/11/world-within-reach-we-think-not-stanford-replies-to-albany/
UAlbany's cutting of departments like language, theater, etc., critics thought, was done to promote things like nanotech. The nanotech campus, once it grew, then split off from UAlbany. What did UAlbany gain from the cuts or the split? Not mentioned, however, was the expensive parasitic growth of UAlbany's athletics department, which one would suppose is also largely to blame for cuts to departments and the rise in tuition.
I'll be skipping the speaking event, naturally. Even if it were more promising, it's not a campus that strikes me as being very safe for anyone to visit (perhaps least of all for me).
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