February 11, 2005

The decision to allow Ward Churchill to speak at the UW-Whitewater.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provides a good, local report of the decision by UW-Whitewater chancellor Jack Miller to not to allow Ward Churchill to speak on campus. I think Miller handled the situation reasonably well. The student group had invited him as a speaker back in July before the current controversies arose and has made a statement that it doesn't mean to offend anyone.

The Badger Herald, a student newspaper, also does a good job with the story, providing better detail about the stipulations Miller imposed:
Miller will not allow Churchill to speak should he not meet six stipulations.

The most important of those stipulations is the guaranteed safety of Miller’s campus, considering the earlier incidents at Hamilton.

Miller’s second requirement stipulates the state will not fund Churchill’s travel expenses or speaker’s honorarium.

“All funding for this event will come from either private gifts or student fees allocated by the Student University Fee Allocation Committee (SUFAC),” according to the statement.

Churchill’s attendance at the university would also depend on the outcome of a review by UC-Boulder, where the school’s Board of Regents is currently debating whether to dismiss Churchill from the university.

The statement said the university would also provide views contrary to Churchill’s. Finally, Miller demanded a clarification of Churchill’s “Little Eichmanns” remark.

I think these are good stipulations, though it seems to me that it's the university that has to supply the security. Various politicos are taking potshots at Miller, which is to be expected. But he had a difficult situation to deal with, and there was no perfect resolution.

And nice job with the story by The Badger Herald. I don't think the other student newspaper, The Daily Cardinal, even has a report.

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