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Washington State University: Use of Dispositions Theory to Enforce Ideological Orthodoxy

Washington State University (WSU) repealed partisan evaluative criteria used to punish a student whose views on diversity and gun control differed with those of other professors at WSU. Student Ed Swan had received poor evaluative teaching marks on his "dispositions" criteria, which had "required students to have a commitment to vague ideological concepts such as "appreciat[ing] and valu[ing] human diversity," sensitivity to "community and cultural norms," and respecting "others' varied talents and perspectives." Swan was penalized for admitting that he opposes gun control and does not believe that white privilege and male privilege exist, and was forced to sign a contract submitting him to more ideological litmus tests. FIRE intervened on behalf of Swan so he could have a clear a path to graduation, first convincing WSU to not use "dispositions" in an unconstitutional manner; WSU eventually revamped the dispositions evaluation forms that contained the unconstitutional requirements.

Case Materials

• "Washington State Rejects Political Litmus Test for Education Students," February 28, 2006: Six months ago, Ed Swan feared that his teaching career would end before it started, merely because his ideology differed from that of his professors at Washington State University. Today, thanks to a campaign of public exposure by FIRE, WSU has completely repealed the criteria it used to punish Swan. This is a tremendous victory not just for Ed Swan, but for the freedom of thought and conscience of every WSU education student.
• "WSU College of Education ‘Professional Dispositions Assessment’ Form," February 22, 2006
• "Washington State University Continues Campaign of Repression," October 12, 2005: In recent months, FIRE has intervened twice at Washington State University to protect students’ freedom of expression.  After publicly proclaiming respect for their students’ rights, Washington State administrators have now made clear that, between their grading students on their politics and their paying for hecklers to disrupt student plays, liberty is still in dire straits in Pullman.
• "Education Programs May Have a ‘Disposition’ for Censorship," September 21, 2005: FIRE is fighting an emerging trend in campus censorship. This summer, Washington State University used “dispositions” theory to punish an education student for his political and religious expression, relenting only after FIRE became involved. And just last month, FIRE had to intervene when Brooklyn College professor K. C. Johnson was threatened with a secret investigation for questioning the use of the theory.
• "Washington State University's Proposed Student Contract for Ed Swan," September 21, 2005
• "Letter from Washington State University Dean of Education Judy N. Mitchell to FIRE, September 9, 2005," September 9, 2005
• "FIRE Letter to Washington State University President V. Lane Rawlins, September 6, 2005," September 6, 2005
• "Letter from Washington State University College of Education Director of Student Services Linda Chaplin to Ed Swan, August 31, 2005," August 31, 2005
• "FIRE Letter to Washington State University President V. Lane Rawlins, August 29, 2005," August 29, 2005
• "WSU College of Education ‘Professional Dispositions Evaluation’ Form," January 25, 2005
• "E-mail from Professor Paula Groves Price to Ed Swan, October 12, 2004," October 12, 2004

Media Coverage

• "Campus Alert: Think like us--or else,"
  New York Post, June 4, 2007
• "University presidents battle for honors in spinelessness,"
  by John Leo, Universal Press Syndicate, May 1, 2006
• "Education School Revises Policy on 'Dispositions',"
  by Paula Wasley, The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 10, 2006
• "Washington State U. Revises Evaluation Form for Would-Be Teachers That Led to Bias Complaints,"
  by Paula Wasley, The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 1, 2006
• "Undergraduate education majors to be evaluated by new form,"
  Associated Press, February 22, 2006
• "Campus Conscience Police?,"
  by Wendy McElroy, Fox News, December 21, 2005
• "WSU ends ‘hecklers veto’ aid but threatens conservative student’s graduation,"
  by Mark Tapscott, Townhall.com, December 17, 2005
• "'We Don't Need That Kind of Attitude',"
  by Robin Wilson, The Chronicle of Higher Education, December 16, 2005
• "FIRE to the rescue,"
  The New Criterion, December 1, 2005
• "WSU challenge underscores true meaning of diversity,"
  Yakima Herald-Republic (Wash.), November 29, 2005
• "Unpopular political opinions part of diversity too,"
  by Tom Henderson, Lewiston Morning Tribune (Idaho), November 20, 2005
• "Politically Correct?,"
  The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.), November 18, 2005
• "WSU student claims discrimination because of conservative views,"
  by Nicholas K. Geranios, Associated Press, November 12, 2005
• "Scholars Group: Accrediting Agency Violating First Amendment,"
  by Jacob Gershman, The New York Sun, November 4, 2005
• "Class(room) Warriors,"
  by John Leo, U.S. News & World Report, October 24, 2005
• "WSU takes hit on free speech,"
  by Shawn Vestal, The Spokesman-Review, October 22, 2005
• "Demerit System,"
  by Mark Bergin, World, October 22, 2005
• "WSU's Politburo enforces dogma,"
  by Michael Costello, Lewiston Morning Tribune (Idaho), October 22, 2005
• "WSU Education Department studying 'litmus test',"
  by E. Kirsten Peters, Associated Press, October 20, 2005
• "WSU responds to evaluation criticisms,"
  by E. Kirsten Peters, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, October 19, 2005
• "National columnist attacks WSU,"
  by E. Kirsten Peters, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, October 19, 2005
• "Ideology creeps into academic evaluation,"
  by Charles Parsons, The Badger Herald (UW-Madison), October 5, 2005
• "Character evaluations are absurd, offensive,"
  by Steve McClure, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, October 4, 2005
• "Battle over students rights comes to head,"
  by E. Kirsten Peters, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, October 1, 2005