vision2020
Re: (Fwd) APC News Wire
One of the things we're trying to do in our library instruction classes
is to introduce the concept of evaluation of sources when using the
Internet. While this was also an issue when using printed sources, the
general bias of Time, The National Review, or the New York Times was
pretty well known to the reading public. The Internet allows one to
access a very diverse range of opinion, and the source's bias is not
always immediately evident.
In this case, the "APC Newswire" is a product of the American Policy
Center, a far-right organization run by political consultant Tom
Deweese, a former protege of John Ashcroft. One would expect that only
one point of view would be stressed, and it was.
A news story from the "Chronicle of Higher Education" provides some
additional details. It says that in his three years, he had received
two negative evaluations, and then a terminal contract. It then goes on
to say:
"For all of the drama the case is generating, the details remain a
mystery. Mr. Sakren would release only excerpts of one of his negative
evaluations to The Arizona Republic, the Phoenix newspaper. One excerpt
said: "He is firmly wedded to the idea of classical training." Another
accused him of "sexism" and said: "As a director his casting choices and
interpretation of women's roles are so retrograde that a significant
number of our women students have expressed disgust."
Bonnie J. Eckard, head of the theater department, said the excerpts
don't tell the whole story. She'd like to elaborate, she says, but can't
because Mr. Sakren won't give her permission to release the evaluations
in their entirety. His lawyer would not provide copies to The Chronicle.
Dr. Eckard did say, "The issues are not about academic freedom, not
about political correctness, and certainly not about Shakespeare." What
they are about, she said, is Mr. Sakren's job performance."
--
Ron Force rforce@belle.lib.uidaho.edu
Dean of Library Services University of Idaho
Moscow, ID 83844 (208) 885-6534
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