Slashdot Mirror
Student Faces Suspension For Spamming Profs
edmicman sends word of a Fox News report about a Michigan State University student who is facing suspension for bulk emailing a number of professors at the university about a proposed change to the school calendar — an e-mail that the university is labeling spam. The article contains links to a copy of the original email, the allegations against the student, and the university's Email Acceptable Use Policy. The student, Kara Spencer, asked a Philadelphia rights organization, FIRE, to get involved. The article quotes the FIRE defense program director: "The fact that MSU is considering punishment of Spencer simply for exercising her right to contact selected faculty members by e-mail shows a disturbing disregard for students' freedom of expression. ... Threatening a member of the student government with suspension for sending relevant, timely e-mails to faculty members is outrageous." Spencer is awaiting the school's judgement after a hearing, and vows to take to the courts if suspended.
She was already informed that she had violated policy, and she refused to change that. Civil disobedience is fine, IMO. Have at it, but don't come blubbering when Mr. Consequence arrives to the party.
Well, now she has bought herself an opportunity to experience the University's discipline procedures and to prove (a) that she didn't violate the email policy or (b) that the email policy should be changed or (c) that she will be attending school elsewhere next year.
What she will not be doing is making much progress on the calendar issue.
You go girl! I hope you still think this was your best available tactic this time next year.
"We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." --The American President (20.1.2009)
Which may prove to be completely irrelevant if that policy is shown to be in violation of Federal law.
By sending this bulk mail she violated the university's bulk email policy, and she is being punished as a result. Which law is this violating?
Hopefully it's violating the First Amendment.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
That's not why student government is a joke (not that I'm taking her side here, you understand). Student government is a joke because it's a joke. Allow me to elaborate a bit.
The first thing that's a joke is calling it "student government." It's purely a popularity contest, even worse than regular politics, where we at least pretend that people should be qualified for office, and where sometimes they even are qualified for office. There's no "government" involved; the students are not in charge, nor should they be, because they'd make a total mess of things. Curriculum? It's pretty hard for people who have yet to complete a college curriculum to effectively influence one. Sexual harassment? Not much student government can do about that, but (most) universities have clear and effective policies and procedures in place for dealing with it through the administration, which *can* do something about it. In cases where it can't or won't, you need a lawyer on your side, not your class president. Deportation? Gee, if you're not in the country legally, you *should* be deported and should not be taking the place in school of someone who is here legally. If student government takes any other position, they're just proving my point they aren't ready to be in charge of anything, even if they did have any actual power to govern. Drug use? Yeah, student government is all over that, I bet. Nudge nudge, wink wink. Tuition going up? Gee, we could keep it down some by eliminating funds for student government, maybe. Hey, prices go up, so do salaries. It's a fact of life, get used to it. You can't keep paying the same tuition forever. If you could, we'd still be at 1970 prices. Housing? OK, if there's something wrong with the dorms, student government could maybe help with this. But does it? Probably not.
The thing is, I went to university to get a good education. I got one, at UCSD. Nothing that anyone in student government did in any way furthered that. In fact, it just made it slightly more expensive. If there were no student government, fees would be lower and I could have spent the money on something more useful, like good coffee. Student government is a waste of time, except maybe for those planning to go into politics, in which case it's good training for how to become a professional wanker, not just an amateur, but why should that be on my dime?