There are a number of reasons I could and should be proud of the fact that I go to UCLA. However, right now one reason tops them all: The faculty here at UCLA beat out all of the other University of California campuses in 2008 presidential campaign donations.
Instead of criticizing the faculty for leaning toward the liberal end of the political spectrum, the UCLA community as a whole should applaud them for being so active in the political process.
Last week the Daily Bruin reported UCLA faculty members have donated a total of $66,030 to political campaigns this election cycle. They beat out Berkeley’s faculty, who donated $26,926, less than half of what our faculty contributed.
Simply put, these numbers are extraordinary. Not only do we go to a school that offers just about the best education one can get in California, possibly the country, we also go to a school where the faculty truly care about the future of our nation.
As a student who considers himself a political enthusiast, it is reassuring to me, and I am sure to many of my peers, to know the faculty also greatly care about who will become our next president.
“To know that I am at a university that cares about what I’m doing is very reassuring, regardless of whether or not they support my candidate,” said Teddy Schwartz, president of Bruins for Hillary.
In fact, by donating money to the candidates, which is just one of many ways to get involved in the political process, faculty members are essentially showing students how they can get involved with politics later in life, when they have the means to donate money, but not the time to actively campaign for candidates.
“One goal of the school is to create an educated citizenry,” said community health sciences and sociology Professor Michael Goldstein, who is also vice chair of the Academic Senate. “In this sense, the faculty’s behavior is something students can emulate in moving toward that goal.”
Also, these donations prove UCLA is one collective community. While students may not have the means to donate money to campaigns, they can pass out fliers on Bruin Walk to support their candidate. Likewise, while faculty members may feel it would be inappropriate to stand on Bruin Walk advocating one candidate over the other, they can donate to the political process. Thus, as a whole, UCLA can form one active body in this election.
While some people may look at these numbers and be frustrated that the faculty overwhelmingly donated to Democrats over Republicans ““ Barack Obama alone received $30,780 ““ these people would be wrong to question the integrity of the faculty based on their political leanings.
Of course, there will always be criticism that the faculty at UCLA lean a bit left. To such criticism I ask, so what? The faculty members of UCLA are academics, not activists. As such, we should trust them to teach responsibly. Not to mention the fact that the faculty hold a constitutional right to express their free speech by contributing funds to candidates of their choice.
“The faculty members of UCLA take their jobs very seriously,” Curtis Whatley, co-president of Bruins for Obama, said. “There is a separation between the objectivity of academia and the subjectivity of political thoughts.” Faculty members, too, express this sentiment when asked if their political views have any influence on their teaching.
“I am very mindful of the boundaries that I have to observe between partisan feelings and being a Professor,” said history professor Ellen Dubois, who donated money to the Clinton campaign. “I would never use the classroom to advocate one political party over another, or even one candidate over another.”
Other professors, too, feel that in their teaching it is best not to mix political views and academics.
“I try not to mix my political views with my teaching,” said sociology professor Cameron Campbell, who contributed to the Obama candidacy.
All of us need to be grateful for the politically conscious faculty we have here. Not only do they teach us priceless knowledge on an everyday basis, but they also show us what it means to be a citizen who cares about this country.
While there are many ways to learn from our professors in the classroom, this lesson of political engagement is perhaps one of the most important lessons our faculty can teach us outside of the classroom.
If you are proud of the faculty at UCLA, contact Margolis at mmargolis@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.