AYERS SUPRESSED, BUT ACADEMIC FREEDOM WINS THE DAY 

300 Students, Faculty and Admins Gather in Support of Free Speech on Campus

Chestnut Hill, MA—After administrators at Boston College forced the cancellation of an academic lecture featuring Professor Bill Ayers Friday afternoon, student organizers of the event rallied over 300 students, faculty, and administrators in defense of academic freedom at Boston College. Attendees discussed BC’s cancellation of Professor Ayers’s scheduled lecture as well as the university’s restrictive Speaker Policy. 

Supporters around the Boston area flocked to the defense of student organizers over the weekend, attracting the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU]. The ACLU composed a letter to University President William Leahy today, which stated, “Boston College has abandoned its own mission statement which expresses a firm commitment to academic freedom, academic excellence, and intellectual rigor. While Boston College has worked to build its reputation nationally as an educational institution, that reputation is diminished now, because there can be no academic excellence or intellectual rigor without a commitment to the free exchange of ideas and vigorous debate.”  

Melissa Roberts, a BC Senior and one of the event’s organizers said, “The dangerous precedent set by Boston College today is one that cannot continue. The outpouring of faculty and student support for academic freedom over the narrow interests of wealthy, conservative donors has shown administrators that the decisions made over the course of this weekend to suppress debate are unacceptable to BC’s academic community.” 

Professor Ayers, a former member of the Weather Underground and organizer of self-described “acts of extreme vandalism” is now a respected academic at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was scheduled to speak at BC tonight on “The State of Democracy in America.” Ayers has written numerous books and delivered lectures about reforming urban education to develop the whole person, a concept similar to the Jesuit concept of “cura personalis.” In addition, Professor Ayers was  awarded the Citizen of the Year Award in Chicago in 1997. In his talk, Professor Ayers will address urban education reform and civic engagement in the 21st century. Professor Ayers has spoken at many prestigious universities in the past, including Harvard, Yale, Georgetown Law School, Cornell, Columbia and Brown. 

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PRESS ADVISORY 

WHAT:   BC Students Take Academic Freedom Into the 21st Century: Professor 

Bill Ayers Will Speak via Satellite  

WHEN:  Monday, March 30th, 6:00PM 

WHERE:  Boston College Campus, Devlin Hall, Room 008 

After the cancellation of an appearance by Professor Bill Ayers at Boston College, the event's student organizers have decided to hold a conversation between Ayers and the student body via satellite videoconference.  The conversation will address Ayers's views on urban education reform, civic engagement, and the state of democracy in America.  Administrators who cited concerns for the safety of the BC community canceled the original lecture Friday evening.  Professor Ayers will offer the lecture that he had intended to provide in person to Boston College students tomorrow at 6pm in Devlin Hall, Room 008.  The event will be open to the BC community only. 

Professor Ayers, a former member of the Weather Underground and organizer of self-described “acts of extreme vandalism” is now a respected academic at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Ayers has written numerous books and delivered lectures about reforming urban education to develop the whole person, a concept similar to the Jesuit concept of “cura personalis.”  In addition, Professor Ayers was awarded the Citizen of the Year Award in Chicago in 1997.  In his talk, Professor Ayers will address urban education reform and civic engagement in the 21st century. Professor Ayers has spoken at many prestigious universities in the past, including Harvard, Yale, Georgetown Law School, Cornell, Columbia and Brown.  

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BC STUDENTS FORCED TO TAKE PROF. BILL AYERS OFF CAMPUS  

Student Organizers in Search of New Venue After BC Administrators Abandon 

Academic Freedom  

Chestnut Hill, MA—After administrators at Boston College forced the cancellation late Friday afternoon of an academic lecture featuring Professor Bill Ayers, student 

organizers of the event have decided that the show will go on—off-campus. Student groups and faculty at Boston College drew criticism from a right-wing talk radio show 

host on Friday after organizing a lecture featuring University of Illinois at Chicago Professor Bill Ayers.  

The event, planned for Monday night, was canceled by administrators who cited concerns for the “safety, security, and well-being” of the Boston College community. Student organizers of the event, despite having worked with administrators weeks in advance, were disappointed by the event's last-minute cancellation Friday evening.   

BC Senior Michael Madormo, one of the student organizers of the event and President of the Americans for Informed Democracy, BC chapter, said, “This event is in no way sanctioning Prof. Ayers’ past actions or the actions of his former associates. The lecture is merely an opportunity to hear from one of the nation’s preeminent scholars on issues of urban education reform. At a university, we have the responsibility to hear all voices even if we disagree with them. Above all, this is an issue of free speech and allowing the student body to hear a unique and respected academic viewpoint.” 

Students have struggled with the administration’s restricted interpretation of academic freedom in the past, prompting outcries from the BC community. Administrators’ 

cancellation of academic events thought to be against the Jesuit, Catholic doctrine led to protests from the GLBTQ community in 2005, the African-American Hispanic Asian Native American (AHANA) community in 2006, and a referendum earlier this year condemning the lack of dialogue around issues of sexual health. 

BC Senior Melissa Roberts, another organizer of the event and a member of the College Democrats said, “BC is setting a dangerous precedent by canceling this event. In the past, administrators have cancelled events that they see as being at odds with Jesuit, Catholic ideals. Now, a new precedent has been set which permits the cancellation of any event that is at odds with the ideals of BC’s wealthy and largely conservative donors.  A university should be a place where students can hear all ideas, not just popular or profitable ones." 

Professor Ayers, a former member of the Weather Underground and organizer of self-described “acts of extreme vandalism” is now a respected academic at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Ayers has written numerous books and delivered lectures about reforming urban education to develop the whole person, a concept similar to the Jesuit concept of “cura personalis.” In addition, Professor Ayers was awarded the Citizen of the Year Award in Chicago in 1997. In his talk, Professor Ayers will address urban education reform and civic engagement in the 21st century. Professor Ayers has spoken at many prestigious universities in the past, including Harvard, Yale, Georgetown Law School, Cornell, Columbia and Brown. 

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