Has UNLV Caved ?

by Liberty and Power

If true, this appears to be a smashing victory for academic freedom. See here.

UPDATE: The story is true. President Carol Harter of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas has expunged the damaging material from Hoppe's file. However, Hoppe is pressing for the administration to make an apology and give him a year long sabbatical . He is right to take this action. A letter of apology from Harter especially will send a valuable message to administrators everywhere.

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Kenneth R Gregg - 2/20/2005

David,

I'm glad that the situation has changed significantly for Dr. Hoppe, and I hope that he already feels vindicated over this situation. I can't think of anything that would hurt a dedicated teacher like Hoppe has been and that he can move on.

I haven't had any direct contact with Dr. Hoppe, save when I met him a few times across from UNLV years ago. I have attended talks and various lectures over the years on campus, as well as giving a seminar on libertarian history there. I have had quite a few student acquaintances (most non-libertarians), and the ones who have taken his classes speak quite highly of his teaching skills and his manner. His reputation is that of a good, informative teacher who can relax his students with humor.

We need more people with his skills, not just among libertarians, but in the world in general.

Cheers!
Just Ken

John Lopez - 2/20/2005

What's wrong with a "market"? Nothing.

What's wrong with extorting funds and using them to pay for various things that are justified by "academic freedom"? Plenty.

The root issue of coercive funding of schools isn't going to change any time soon, so I have a hard time caring about things like Hoppe's defenders using mass politics to interfere in a government-run pseudomarket.

John T. Kennedy - 2/20/2005

I don't find anything particularly troubling about different schools adopting different policies. What's wrong with a market for "academic freedom"?

Robert L. Campbell - 2/20/2005

I think that Harter also owes Hoppe an apology.

But I'll accept this outcome, as I'm sure many others will. Those who worked to publicize what UNLV was doing should regard Harter's concession as a victory.

In this case, the chancellor and the governing board responded to the publicity that the UNLV administration's behavior was bringing. Governing boards cannot always be counted on to do that, as the ongoing destruction of the University of Southern Mississippi makes clear.

Robert Campbell

Steven Horwitz - 2/19/2005

This is a good thing. It also goes to show that opponents of free speech, of any stripe, will almost always back down when sunlight is shined on the cases in question. Good job by the various blogs and individuals who contributed to the attention this got.