This publication provides information and guidelines on the way Pennsylvania school boards should meet and conduct business under Act 84 of 1986 (the Sunshine Act) and Act 20 of 1993. The first section provides a brief history of the passage of the Sunshine Act, which mandates an open-meetings statute for public agencies. The second section offers…

This paper, which includes a lengthy literature review, reports on a study undertaken to determine the attitudes of preservice teachers (N=1,347) towards censorship. Data were collected using a Likert style survey instrument to sample subjects' attitudes toward the unimpeded flow of information in a variety of circumstances. Results generally…

First Amendment court decisions have generally been consistent in affirming the rights of students against administrative censorship. Despite these decisions, a review of scholastic and collegiate journals indicates that the constitutional rights of students and their journalism advisers or instructors are clearly and frequently being violated.…

This book views higher education conceptually and seeks to recover hidden understandings of the term "higher education" and to show what it would mean for educational aims and practices if higher education were taken seriously. The approach focuses on how higher education is understood rather than how it is practiced. The book argues that the idea…

The issue of censorship of conservative speakers at major universities by students on the political left is discussed. It is argued that many campus liberals are being duped by committed radicals into supporting radical causes, and that in many cases, campus liberals betray the tradition of intellectual tolerance. The following concerns are posed:…

The Williamsburg Charter is a celebration and reaffirmation of the religious liberty, or freedom of conscience, granted by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It was drafted and signed by more that 150 national leaders and presented to the nation on June 25, 1988, the 200th anniversary of Virginia's call for a bill of rights.…

This document outlines the constitutional protections available to public school teachers as a result of recent court decisions based on the First Amendment and the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. The first and largest section cites legal cases relating to First Amendment guarantees as applied to 1)…

Responds to Barry Brummett's criticism of a previous article by the author suggesting techniques for dealing with fundamentalist Christian students in speech classes. Considers the merits of Brummett's counter proposal and suggests that public speaking courses should not aim to convert absolutist students to relativism but teach them to adapt…

Examines what is not discussed in schools and how "undesirable" talk is subverted, appropriated, and exported. Defines silencing as a process of institutionalized policies and practices that obscure the social, economic, and experiential conditions of students' daily lives and that expels critical talk about these conditions. (SRT)

Discusses (1) whether school facilities should be available for nonschool activities--and if so, to which outside groups; (2) whether outside speakers should be allowed to address a student audience--and if so, which ones; and (3) whether outsiders should be allowed to distribute literature to students. (Author/MLF)

This study used data from a 1992-93 national survey of college teaching faculty (n=29,771) to examine attitudes toward institutional attempts to regulate racist and sexist on-campus speech. Most faculty supported prohibition of hate speech but were less likely to support administrators' right to ban extreme speakers. Unanticipated patterns were…

Examines academic freedom in Fiji after a military coup in 1987. Describes how universities are viewed in developing nations by totalitarian regimes. Discusses the university's visibility, cost, and role in economic development. Refers to numerous studies on the complexity and intensity of relations between the university and the power structure.…

Court decisions regarding the right of teachers to select instructional materials and methods show teachers have some authority, as do administrators and boards of education. None of the groups has limitless power. Offers guidelines to help prevent misunderstandings and conflicts. (MLF)

Events at Trenton State University (New Jersey) in 1993, marked by controversy and anger over a speech made at a public college, are chronicled and observations about the context of the events are made, focusing on the role of media coverage, administrative leadership, and institutional policies and procedures. (MSE)

School administrators must enhance public relations, understanding the difference between publicity and genuine public relations, the difference between advocacy and mutual understanding, that public relations is not limited to keeping bad news out of the newspaper, and that student publications are not direct or formal appendages of the school…