Genuine pluralism differs from mere diversity or passive tolerance. It requires transparent policies and practices that protect and encourage dissidents and dissident perspectives, in order to foster active engagement with and discussion of alternative views. Thus, in keeping with its pluralistic mission, the New SPACE commits itself to the following policies. We urge other educational institutions to adopt and implement these or similar pluralism policies. We are currently discussing additional policies, and encourage suggestions from others.
PLURALISM POLICY #1 (adopted February 2005):
NO
ARBITRARY TERMINATION
(a) The New SPACE will not terminate
its association with a teacher, organizer, or student without notifying her in
advance that it intends to do so.
(b) Anyone who wishes to challenge her impending termination will be allowed
to, and is encouraged to, present her facts and argument against the impending
action and to answer any charges against her.
(c) Anyone who wishes to challenge her impending termination will be allowed
to, and is encouraged to, present her case in person before the full New SPACE
Organizing Committee.
(d) A termination action requires a
majority vote of the decision-making body.
(e) The New SPACE will not terminate, or propose to terminate, its association
with a teacher, organizer, or student, except on the grounds that she has acted
contrary to its written rules, or in a manner that is antithetical to its
mission statement, or detrimental to its policies or functioning.
(f) This policy will be prominently posted on the New SPACE website.
PLURALISM POLICY #2 (adopted February 2005):
NO ADULTERATION OF PUBLICITY
(a) The New SPACE does not and will not
alter instructors' course titles or course descriptions, or the titles and
descriptions of speakers' talks – except to fix grammar, spelling, and typos –
without their knowledge and consent.
(b) New SPACE publicity identifies and will continue to identify instructors
and speakers in the manner in which they have asked to be identified. No
changes to their "bios" will be made without their knowledge and consent, except
to fix grammar, spelling, and typos.
(c) Anyone who believes that someone acting on behalf of the New SPACE has
failed to adhere to (a) or (b) is encouraged to contact the New SPACE Organizing
Committee (NSOC) immediately. The NSOC will investigate the matter promptly
and, if the complaint is deemed valid, promptly take corrective action.
(d) This policy will be prominently posted on the New SPACE website.
PLURALISM POLICY #3 (adopted April 2005):
NO
HARASSMENT
(a) The New SPACE membership and
representatives do not and will not disrupt instructors' classes or speakers'
talks by interrupting and shouting at them, or by any other means, and will not
permit others to do so.
(b) Anyone who believes that someone acting on behalf of the New SPACE has
failed to adhere to (a) is encouraged to contact the New SPACE Organizing
Committee immediately. The organizing committee will investigate the matter
promptly and, if the complaint is deemed valid, promptly take corrective action.
(c) This policy will be prominently posted on the New SPACE website.
PLURALISM POLICY #4 (adopted April 2005):
OPEN DIALOGUE
(a) In order to help forge
real unity among those struggling for liberation, The New SPACE encourages open
dialogue around its aims, mission, and policies, including contributions from
critics.
(b) Accordingly, we will publish contributions from the public on our website,
in a timely manner, together with any response we may wish to make.
(c) We will not publish contributions that are racist, sexist, or homophobic;
that defame individuals; or that engage in redbaiting.
(d) Contributions should be kept brief. We reserve the right to ask
contributors to shorten their contributions before we agree to publish them.
(e) This policy will be prominently posted on the New SPACE website.
The views of the New SPACE are not necessarily those of its teachers, speakers and students.