ASHLAND — Administrators have responded after letters came out Monday from the Student Press Freedom Initiative, citing concern about freedom of expression on Ashland University’s campus thanks to the non-renewal of The Collegian’s adviser.
Ted Daniels, an adjunct faculty member and the adviser of the student newspaper at AU, did not have his contract renewed a week before the school year started. Daniels alleged that the reason was thanks to his students conducting “too much investigative journalism.”
The Collegian published that claim in its first editorial of the year, published Aug. 28. Several faculty members reached out to the Student Press Freedom Initiative. One filed a formal complaint, according to Lindsie Rank, the organization’s student press counsel.
The Student Press Freedom Initiative, which operates under the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), got involved on campus.
It exchanged letters with Ashland University President Carlos Campo over the last two weeks. The letters were made public on Sept. 18.
Campo’s response
On Monday, Campo received a letter asking the university to confirm “Ashland will allow The Collegian to publish without prior review and will publicly reassure the campus community that Ashland will respect freedom of the press and academic freedom going forward.”
It requested a response from Campo by Sept. 21, and Campo wrote back:
In a letter published on the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s website on Sept. 21, Campo doubled down on AU’s policy to not comment on personnel issues.
“We would never subject Mr. Daniels or any other former employee to public scrutiny or derision,” Campo’s Sept. 21 letter stated.
He and other administrators told Ashland Source the same thing when asked for a reason why Daniels’ contract was not renewed.
Campo’s letter also asked for a change in language to a form letter on FIRE’s website. That letter stated Daniels’ contract was terminated.
As an adjunct faculty member, Daniels’ contract wasn’t terminated — it was not renewed. Campo’s letter asked FIRE to change its form letter to reflect that distinction.
He also committed Ashland University “to continuing our full and unwavering support to protect students and faculty’s academic freedom and freedom of expression.”
Campo’s letter also promised that review of the student newspaper for grammar and accuracy would be left to the paper’s adviser.
That adviser is Dillon Carr, Ashland Source’s lead reporter. Carr will no longer cover AU for Ashland Source to avoid any conflict of interest.
Other administrators respond
In addition to Campo’s response to FIRE, other administrators penned a letter to the editor. That letter published on The Collegian’s website on Sept. 20.
Provost Amiel Jarstfer and Dean Katherine Brown, of the College of Arts and Sciences, wrote a letter in support of The Collegian.
“We encourage you to continue your pursuits of knowledge and truth with strategic interviews, research, fact-checking and editorial balance,” they wrote. “The Offices of the Provost and Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Ashland University are committed to the principles of academic freedom and value the resulting dialogue.”
