The postponement was made at the senate's Dec. 10 meeting "in expectation" that a report on the matter from Ryan will "reaffirm the core principles of academic freedom and free speech."

Conference held Nov. 1
The controversy has focused on a conference on sexuality held at New Paltz on Nov. 1 and subsequent criticism of New Paltz President Roger Bowen. SUNY Trustee Candace de Russy has called for Bowen's resignation, and Gov. George Pataki, who also has criticized the subject matter of the conference, asked Ryan to investigate the issue.

The fact-finding report prepared by a review committee appointed by Ryan was circulated to SUNY trustees in mid-December and draft copies were released by SUNY later in the month.

The report concludes that the decision by Bowen, who learned details of the conference program "a few weeks before it was to open," to allow the conference to proceed "was based on the time-honored tradition of free expression of controversial subjects within higher education."

While noting that Bowen "might have chosen other options" and been more "vigorous" in public comments about concerns he had about portions of the conference, it adds: "It is the view of the review committee that, at such a late date, his judgmentŠwas correct, as distasteful as he anticipated some of the conference activity and content might becomeŠ."

Among its recommendations, the committee notes that "presidents who act in accordance with the best traditions of academic freedom and its responsible exercise should receive the staunch support of their faculty, students, (SUNY) system administration, college council and (SUNY) board of trustees."

Trustees to discuss report
The SUNY trustees are expected to discuss the report in executive session at their next meeting on Jan. 27.

The resolution before the UB Faculty Senate, adapted from one approved by the Faculty Senate at the College of Purchase, asks Ryan and the trustees "to stop the current attack on the College of New Paltz, which is an attack on the entire State University and on its faculty, and to reaffirm the core principles of academic freedom and free speech." It was introduced by senate Chair Peter Nickerson, professor of pathology.

Timely response advocated
John Boot, professor and chair of the Department of Management Science and Systems and chair of the senate's Academic Freedom Committee, told senators that he had traveled to Albany and spoken with "the powers that are" who told him that the report "will be very much in line with the thinking expressed in the motion."

Rather than vote on the current resolution, Boot suggested a more effective response would be to wait for Ryan to issue a statement on the report. If that statement underscores what is expected in the report, "it might be very welcome to have the accolades or agreement of the Faculty Senate."

But any response would have to be timely, Boot emphasized, acknowledging that might be difficult with the then-upcoming holidays.

He urged the senate to "have trust in a committee of four or five, perhaps appointed by the chair of the senate," to meet over the break and write a letter of support.

Claude Welch, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Political Science, told Boot that his suggestion "leaves me with some sense of disquiet: namely, that the senate should pass on its collective responsibility to an unnamed group" during a time when many people are not on campus.

It might be better, and accomplish the same goals, Welch said, to have a group of current and former chairs to sign as individuals a letter of support.

Lou Swartz, associate professor of law, agreed that "the device of delegating the power to speak for the entire body is an unsettling arrangement," and suggested an alternative be found.

After listening to the discussion, Nickerson told senators he found general agreement that the matter should be postponed until the chancellor's report is made public.

Nickerson said he expected the issue to come up again at the executive committee meeting on Jan. 14.