...and then says "just kidding!"
There is an interesting story here about USD. I haven't been to the office since I found out about the story, so I don't know what the buzz is around the campus. I have read none of her work, and am making no claim about it or whether or not she should have been asked to be a visiting faculty: But here are my initial thoughts:
- According to the story, Ruether says that "the academic freedom of San Diego faculty members had been hurt by having her appointment blocked." First off, I've not seen any enfringement on academic freedom at USD. (The closest I've seen is petty politics in the guise of restrictions on academic freedom.) But I fail to see how her not coming to USD is an affront to our academic freedom.
- It's not like our theology (or, more technically, "Theology and Religious Studies") department is particularly conservative theologically. Nor is the university for that matter.
- It's sad that the announcement of Ruether's appointment was made on the USD website before she was ever "officially appointed." I'd like to know if this was the result of ineptitude or malfeasance. I'd believe either one.
- Since Al works in the controller's office, and they're the department that deals with gifts and endowments, like the one behind the chair in question, I know that restrictions on gifts are more the norm than the exception. So long as a gift is over $5k and an endowment is over $50k, the donor can put on basically whatever restrictions they want (so long as it is within university guidelines).
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