LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY wyldraven)

From Dallas Morning News (subscription required)

'Opt-out' idea irks professors
Arizona measure would let students skip work they found offensive

12:00 AM CST on Monday, February 20, 2006
/ Associated Press

MESA, Ariz. – A proposed law that would allow college students to opt out of class assignments they find offensive is worrying some professors.

The Senate Committee on Higher Education approved a bill last week that would force instructors to offer alternative course work for students who find an assignment offensive to their sexuality, morality or religion (my highlights).

The measure was introduced by state Sen. Thayer Verschoor, R-Gilbert, who says a community college student complained to him after he was assigned to read Rick Moody's The Ice Storm, which contains scenes of sexuality and drug use.

But faculty members say if the law passes, it could take away their control of course content.

"You couldn't have a college if students could simply veto the assignment. They could simply say, 'Give me something else to read,' and it would make my job impossible," said professor Nicholas Damask, who teaches political science at Scottsdale Community College.

Erik Esper, 21, who attends the Phoenix-area school, said he is a Christian but welcomes the opportunity to read about things with which he doesn't agree.

Mr. Esper said if he read something he was uncomfortable with, such as a pornographic scene in a book, he believes he has a right to simply skip the section and let the instructor know it was offensive.

"You could say, 'If you have material on this test, I'd like not to be graded on this section.' I'm sure the majority of the faculty would be fine with that," he said.

While Mr. Damask considers the bill an assault on academic freedom, he said the legislation makes a statement that faculty members should listen to carefully: "This says to faculty members, 'Stop politicizing the classroom.' "

If this passes, degrees from Arizona universities will be good for exactly one thing.

Emergency toilet paper.

Found on the journal of mstical1.