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Father Robert Wild, SJ, President of Marquette University, has responded to recent criticism of the performance of the Vagina Monologues on campus and the rejection of the Students for Academic Freedom. I respect and appreciate Fr.Wild’s concerned response but, his justifications lead me to believe that he has been provided false information and is relying largely on the arguments put forth by his staff.

Here is his complete, unedited response (rebuttal follows):

From: “Wild S.J., Robert”
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2007 10:35:08
Subject: RE: Students for Academic Freedom and the Vagina Monologues

Dear Brandon:

Thank you for taking the time to write to me with your concerns. I appreciate your concern for your Alma Mater.

I have consulted with Provost Madeline Wake and Father Andy Thon, Vice President of Student Affairs, regarding the two issues you raise — the “Vagina Monologues” and the Students for Academic Freedom.

Regarding the “Vagina Monologues,” this is not an “about face.” There is a distinct difference between examining a play within the context of an academic environment, with faculty-led guided discussion, compared to a public production presented under sponsorship of a student organization. Let me assure you that the teachings of the Catholic Church will form part of the discussions. We have worked very hard at Marquette at deepening and strengthening our Catholic and Jesuit identity and probably are more explicit about this dimension of our identity than any time previously in our history. As Pope John Paul’s Ex Corde Ecclesiae clearly recognizes, universities of their very nature are places where ideas, even very controversial or unpopular ideas, can be freely discussed.

As far as Students for Academic Freedom is concerned, and as you no doubt know, administrators within the Office of Student Development worked with the student applicant to try to find a compromise. Several of the proposed activities described in the organizational constitution submitted for approval have the potential to quite definitely threaten the academic freedom of our faculty. Such academic freedom for the faculty is a necessary prerequisite for any serious academic institution, and there is no Catholic university of standing that operates otherwise. Indeed, this tradition in university life goes back to the 13th century, a time when in Europe the only universities that existed were Roman Catholic. A number of the issues identified in the proposed constitution, i.e., reading lists, academic conferences and classroom speakers, are curricular decisions within the purview of individual faculty members or faculty departments. Preserving this faculty discretion is a key tenet of academic freedom.

We have appeal and grievance processes in place that I hope students will take advantage of if they ever feel they are being unfairly treated. I know the Provost’s Office is working on making those procedures more detailed and transparent.

I hope you are doing well. May our good and gracious God bless you and all those dear to you.

Sincerely,

Robert A. Wild, S.J.
President
Marquette University

For the truth on Catholic doctrine surrounding the Vagina Monologues and “Academic” justification, please see Daniel Suhr’s recent column “Confined by Truth“.

As to truth, again on the one side is the literal truth of the rightfully shocking nature of violence against women, and the truth of the statements of women interviewed by the playwright. On the other hand there are the larger, transcendent truths of human sexuality, the family, love, and authentic femininity that are assaulted and insulted by the play.

In order to provide the most accurate and credible response to this letter, I have also asked Chuck Rickert, organizer of the Students for Academic Freedom at Marquette University to respond to Father Wild’s response as well. His response is here:

This letter suggests that Students for Academic Freedom was given a path to approval by The Office of Student Development (and that our organization somehow refused to cooperate) and that our organization wants to be anything more than a peaceful assembly of students working toward a Marquette University that is more tolerant of civil and reasoned debate.

During the 18 week conversation with The Office of Student Development, on behalf of Students for Academic Freedom, I asked administrators at least three times: “I understand you have objections with the constitution. What specifically could we change to bring our Constitution within the realm of acceptance?”

The response from administrators every time was, “Well, Charles…it is not our role or place to tell you what your organization should be.”

A compromise involves two parties finding the middle ground to a mutually beneficial solution. I offered several times to find this middle ground but The Office of Student Development did not budge. If the Office of Student Development is in the business of developing students, it should have offered suggestions and given our organization at least one path to approval.

The unfounded notion that Students for Academic Freedom threatens the academic freedom of faculty members is bizarre. Marquette’s response characterizes Students for Academic Freedom as wanting to sit in on tenure meetings or construct syllabi alongside the faculty. Instead, Students for Academic Freedom would host debates on campus, note and object to one-sided discussions of any topic, note and object to events that abuse the academic nature of the university and serve pizza with orange drink at our meetings. Students for Academic Freedom is a group of students who believe that Marquette University promotes a very narrow discussion of many of the most important issues facing our world today and we are willing to stand up to protect the free market place of ideas.

For example, to say that Marquette University promotes more than a very narrow view of what social justice is and how we can achieve it is undeniable. Students for Academic Freedom would object to this one-sided discussion and provide a reasoned rebuttal.

Nobody is threatened and if we can achieve an environment where Marquette becomes a free marketplace of ideas then the truth will win out based on merits and not one-sidedness.

Deep down, I wonder if The Office of Student Development will ever offer our organization help to gain approval and achieve the compromise they mention in their statements.

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