Prospective Mississippi State students quickly discover that academic research is a major facet of this school’s mission. A visit to the school’s research Web site shows Mississippi State prides itself on being 57th in the nation in science and engineering research. Furthermore, the Web site states, “[Research] enhances the educational experience provided to both graduate and undergraduate students. Mississippi State University’s dedication to research and education has made a direct economic impact on the state and the nation.” Research, much of it government funded, is an integral part of MSU. The past year, however, has been marked with an increasing tendency to limit academic freedoms as well as other civil liberties in the interest of national security. In many cases, though, the limits are excessive and dangerous to the free exchange of ideas-a necessary component to both American academics and technological superiority. Universities and researchers should resist increasing limits on academic freedoms as much as possible.
According to the September issue of Scientific American, government research grants have an increasing number of restrictions, particularly on unclassified but “sensitive” material. Administrators and researchers worry that such restrictions may nullify the educational and academic benefits of research and unnecessarily limit how the researchers can use their material and results.
At Duke University problems arose with several research grants where the contract increased government oversight of the results prior to publication. Usually, those types of problems were solved by changing the wording of the results. One grant, though, was rejected outright when the military wanted complete oversight of the release of results.
MIT has also felt the effects of increased controls on research information. In a mild response to the increased controls, a panel headed by former secretary of the Air Force and current MIT aeronautics professor Sheila Widnall wrote, “The applications of export control provisions to university researchers, and a growing pressure to treat research results as sensitive create a new landscape for faculty, students and MIT as an institution.”
Universities are right to be wary of excessive limits on research results. Freedom of all sorts lies at the core of American culture. It is one of the concepts that defines us as Americans. Limiting it risks losing the America our parents and predecessors have worked so hard to create.
While national security is of great importance, much of the nation’s strength has been built on the free exchange of ideas. Jim C.I. Chang, director of the Army Research Office, agrees that an academically free environment is necessary to long term innovation. The free development of microprocessor technology, lasers, genetic engineering and other advanced concepts despite their potential military applications has led to increased economic strength, quality of life and technological superiority.
Restrictions on research also limit its utility in education. Universities are, after all, educational facilities and should be allowed to proceed in a manner that most benefits education. Eva J. Pell, vice president for research at Pennsylvania State University, said, “Imprudent moves to regulate publication [of research results] could further threaten our ability to educate students.”
Given the amount of government research done at MSU, the effects of such limitations may be felt here at home. Educational capabilities may be weakened in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Industry, Education, Engineering and the School of Architecture, thus unnecessarily limiting the opportunities available to students.
Universities should be wary of accepting grants that fund research where limitations are imposed on the publication of results, especially when the information is unclassified. Such limitations pose threats to academic freedom, as well as limiting the educational usefulness of the research. The government should also be prudent in limiting academic freedom as well as any other liberty, lest it erode the foundations upon which this nation was built.
Nathan Alday is a junior aerospace engineering major. Send comments to [email protected].