PINEVILLE, La. (ABP) — Citing “a general climate of fear” and “pervasive mistrust” among faculty, administrators and trustees, a special team of investigators has concluded that Louisiana College violated principles of academic freedom and proper board governance.
The report came from a specially appointed study team from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), sent in early September to investigate several recent controversies over academic freedom and other issues at the Louisiana Baptist institution.
Released to the public Oct. 20, the study concluded that the school had violated both standards set by the regional accrediting body, and its own stated college policies in several areas.
The campus has been roiled by controversy for several years, with much of it coming to a head in the past two years as a group of fundamentalists gained a majority on the institution's board of directors. All board members are appointed by the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
“The committee concluded, based upon extensive interviews with members of the board of trustees, senior staff and faculty that a significant portion of the board of trustees of Louisiana College are influenced if not controlled by the agenda of the Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship (LIFe) and the Louisiana Baptist Convention,” the report reads.
The study team said an agenda from the group — established as a political movement within the Louisiana Baptist Convention — had unduly influenced the board's work.
Among the controversies on campus were two policies that many professors said violated academic freedom — a 2003 move to require prior approval of class texts and materials by administrators and a more recent action involving a board committee more closely in academic hiring and requiring new faculty hires to be in agreement with the Southern Baptist Convention's 2000 Baptist Faith and Message statement.
“After interviewing trustees, the committee was concerned that the college's stated and documented traditional commitment to academic freedom was in jeopardy,” the committee said.
They reported particular problems with trustees getting involved in approval of course materials. “Faculty reported a pattern of requests from administrators that they cease use of certain materials due to board or external pressures,” the team said. “According to the faculty, frequently the reported complaints were vague, inaccurate, or taken out of context. Faculty also reported that in all such cases the [school's] academic-freedom policy that provides a process for dealing with student or others' complaints about course content or materials was not followed.”
The study team also criticized trustees for inserting themselves into administrative decisions. “Board members should decline involvement in the day-to-day administration of the institution and faculty and administrators must rely on the board when policy is to be initiated,” it said. “The committee found a number of examples where individual board members have failed to adhere to this practice.”
In a statement released by the college's public-relations office, interim college president John Traylor said a college response team would address the committee's concerns and report back to trustees at their November meeting, to then be forwarded to SACS officials before their regular December meeting.
“The team worked harmoniously, diligently, and constructively to address the four recommendations to ensure our continued accreditation,” Traylor said. “The College continues to believe that the report will help Louisiana College become an even stronger institution.”
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