Chair Talk 3.15 - What is Partisan Politics and What is Not

As employees of the State of Arizona we are governed by ARS 41-752, which states, with regard to political activities, that any employee may engage in the following activities, as long as they are not done “while on duty, while in uniform or at public expense”:

1. Express an opinion.

2. Attend meetings for the purpose of becoming informed concerning the candidates for public office and the political issues.

3. Cast a vote and sign nomination or recall petitions.

4. Make contributions to candidates, political parties or campaign committees contributing to candidates or advocating the election or defeat of candidates.
5. Circulate candidate nomination petitions or recall petitions.
6. Engage in activities to advocate the election or defeat of any candidate.
7. Solicit or encourage contributions to be made directly to candidates or campaign committees contributing to candidates or advocating the election or defeat of candidates.

In practice this means that if you wish to express a political opinion it is important that you do so without using UA resources, for example a UA email account.  There are, of course, differences of opinion about what constitutes a political opinion, as distinct from a position taken to serve our students and uphold the stated values of our university and its community.

With this in mind, and given that I have every intention of continuing to express my opinion about current events that affect our students, ourselves, and the community of which we are a part, I will in the future be posting some of my thoughts through a non-UA email account:  nadellynn@gmail.com.  If you wish to receive these particular Chair Talk messages please send me your non-UA email address and I will add you a Google Group that I have created.

I will continue to use UA resources to speak out, in a non-partisan way, about issues that directly affect our ability, as faculty, to serve all of our students.  It was in this context that I recently approved the distribution of a message from GPSC President Jude Udeozor about the possible impact of the recent Presidential Executive Order on students from around the world.  I do not consider this message partisan, because defending all of our students is not a political act – it is an action on behalf of our most important ideals as educators, as President Hart just made clear in her message to the campus.  I have received a few emails questioning this action, from individuals who seem to think I am taking sides, and not reflecting the views of all in our community.  I encourage anyone who feels this way to send me their thoughts, and even a statement they would like me to circulate.  I would be happy to do so, in the spirit of the open dialogue that is essential to any university.

Lynn Nadel
Chair of the Faculty (on leave in Australia, but definitely not disengaged)