KU chancellor’s statement on war soft on troop support, speaker says

Topeka ? A statement last week by Kansas University Chancellor Robert Hemenway concerning the war in Iraq has caught the ire of several lawmakers.

“It appeared to show a lack of support for our troops,” House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, said Friday.

In the statement issued March 20 as fighting broke out in Iraq, Hemenway said his thoughts were with the coalition military forces and civilians in Iraq, and security would be increased on campus but that KU wasn’t under any immediate threat.

He added: “I would remind everyone that the University has no official ‘position’ regarding the present conflict. KU shall remain a place of academic freedom for those who hold a wide range of views. We shall also remain a community that supports the many international students and staff who are a vital part of the University.”

Mays said he heard several lawmakers grumbling about Hemenway’s remarks. “A lot of people with military backgrounds or who know people in the military believe we need to show strong support for our troops,” he said.

But Mays said he doubted anything would come of the discussions.

This is the statement in its entirety from KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway issued by the university on March 20:

With the outbreak of war in Iraq, our thoughts are with the coalition military forces — some of whom are KU students, staff or alumni — as well as the innocent civilians affected by this conflict. Compared with their sacrifices at this time, any inconveniences we may suffer due to heightened security precautions are insignificant.

We are aware of the possibility of terrorist attacks against the United States and are monitoring the situation in cooperation with state, county and city officials. However, there is no reason to believe that KU, its students or its staff are under any immediate threat. Classes will resume as scheduled on Monday, March 24, at all campuses of the university.

To help our students, staff and family members stay current on the status of the University during this crisis, we have created a Web site (www.ku.edu/emergency/) that contains useful information about the nation’s emergency alert status, campus emergency procedures and related news releases.

KU Info is another source of up-to-date information. (864-3506, kuinfo@ku.edu, and www.ku.edu/~kuinfo/)

I would remind everyone that the University has no official “position” regarding the present conflict. KU shall remain a place of academic freedom for those who hold a wide range of views. We shall also remain a community that supports the many international students and staff who are a vital part of the university.

Let me add, in the words of a recent AAU statement, that each of us has “the obligation to maintain a campus environment conducive to serious study and reflection.”

We are hopeful that this war will be brief and that the outcome will be a safer world for everyone.

— Robert E. Hemenway