Representatives in Wisconsin’s Assembly wrote to UW-Madison chancellor Rebecca Blank on Friday to voice their support for professor Kenneth Mayer.
Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, joined 14 of her assembly members in detailing their reasons for supporting the longtime political science professor.
Mayer’s “The American Presidency” course syllabus received condemnation from Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greenville for including what he believed to be a “politically polarized characterization” of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The legislators decried state involvement with UW course content in the letter, saying “we write to support each students’ right to attend courses on a public campus that aren’t edited by state legislators who may disagree with the sources and the content of the curriculum.”
Groups on campus, including the College Republicans of UW-Madison and UW professor advocacy group PROFS, have released statements voicing their support of the professor as well.
In a press release, PROFS said that involvement by state legislators in course syllabi may have a “chilling effect on future faculty members’ willingness to speak freely and openly about controversial topics.”
PROFS tweeted the representatives’ letter to Blank Monday furthering their support for Mayer.
The letter goes on to say that "attempting to silence professors who are challenging students to learn and grow as independent, critical thinkers stifles academic freedom and stunts the academic experience of our young adults.”
