[939] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: What is the cost of academic and political freedom?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jeremy H. Brown)
Mon Oct 8 07:20:46 2001
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Message-ID: <uv6lmimlrt8.fsf@suspiria.ai.mit.edu>
Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 23:43:47 -0400
Reply-To: "Documentation at http://web.mit.edu/beland/talk/talk.html"
<MIT-Talk@MIT.EDU>, "Jeremy H. Brown" <jhbrown@AI.MIT.EDU>
From: "Jeremy H. Brown" <jhbrown@AI.MIT.EDU>
To: MIT-Talk@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: <200110080316.XAA23128@home-on-the-dome.mit.edu>
Krzysztof Z Gajos <kgajos@mit.edu> writes:
> Implicit in this discussion is the assumption that criticizing
> Shell at its recruitment event was harmfull for MIT. Let me suggest
> that this is unlikely...
From <http://web.mit.edu/personnel/www/policy/3-5.html>, the MIT
Personnel Policy Manual, section 3.5: (underscoring mine)
It is the policy of the Institute that its officers, faculty, staff,
and others acting on its behalf have the obligation to avoid
ethical, legal, financial, or other conflicts of interest and to
ensure that their activities and interests do not conflict with
^^^^^^
their obligations to the Institute or its welfare. Essential to
effective administration and adherence to this policy are: a)
disclosure to designated Institute officers of outside activities
and interests, including financial interests, which might give rise
to conflicts, and b) readily available advice and counsel to
individuals and to Institute department heads on any situation.
I would argue that an employee who signed on knowing this policy
should, perhaps, have checked in with the "readily available"
advisers/counselors before doing something obviously controversial.
I don't know jack about the situation with Shell in Nigeria (You!
With the URL you're about to send me! Don't!), but I'm certainly
willing to believe it's hideous. And I don't really know jack about
the situation with this suspended employee, but I'm certainly willing
to believe that it is, in fact, injust whether or not it is compliance
with written MIT policy.
That said, though, the key phrase is that I am "willing to believe" --
it is not that I "already believe" in an evidence-vacuum.
And perhaps most important: I don't know whether this employee *wants*
a petition circulated or what-have-you; I'd like to hear it from him
directly before I consider investing effort.
Jeremy
