University of Central Arkansas President Lu Hardin and Assistant Professor of English Becky Williams returned to the American Association of University Professors meeting on Friday…but under very different circumstances from their previous time before that organization.
Last June 14, Hardin presented the case for the university to be removed from censure, which had been imposed on UCA in 2000. The president was so successful in making the university’s case that, in addition to having censure removed, he was invited back to co-keynote a recent weekend conference on governance with Williams, UCA liasion to the AAUP. The conference was held in Indianapolis.
Their topic was the “University of Central Arkansas and the Removal of Censure.”
Dr. Williams emphasized the importance of faculty being active on university issues, along with how important the recent faculty handbook changes were to academic freedom and due process.
Hardin told the professors from across the country administrators should not be threatened by academic freedom, but should in fact embrace the concept.
Hardin commented, “I was pleased to be able to put UCA in the national spotlight. This was a great opportunity that I enjoyed sharing with one of our outstanding professors.”
-Tommy Jackson