[The Montana Professor 16.2, Spring 2006 <http://mtprof.msun.edu>]

To the Editor:

I'd be interested in learning why the editorial board would hand over editorial control of two issues of TMP on the subject of "academic responsibility" to the University System's two top administrators.

If the topic of "academic responsibility" includes administrative actions and if one or both of the administrator-editors should figure negatively in a submission, the likelihood such an article would be rejected seems strong, probably pre-determined. The same concern applies to a writer critical of other Montana University System administrators or of the Board of Regents. "Theoretical" articles, if they refer to issues regarding Montana higher education, would require citation of specific examples, even documentation that could reflect negatively upon the editors and/or their collegial associates.

For example, the recent stream access controversy regarding UM's School of Journalism, Cox Communications, President Dennison and his letter to Governor Schweitzer, if fully related, presents George Dennison in a most unflattering light.

In the interest of publication fairness, it would seem more responsible (and professional) to entrust editing these issues to persons who do not have such strong conflicts of interest.

Best regards,

Doug Giebel
Big Sandy, MT

[The Montana Professor 16.2, Spring 2006 <http://mtprof.msun.edu>]