Dear Editor,
I respectfully ask that you share this message with your readers. As a tenured professor at Youngstown State University, I emphasize that this letter represents my views alone, and it should not be considered a statement on behalf of my institution.
If enacted, Ohio Senate Bill 1, or S.B. 1, will have broadly detrimental effects. There is a remedy: a petition for a referendum on S.B. 1. If we can get 250,000 signatures, S.B. 1 will be on the ballot this November.
S.B. 1 requires that degrees graduating fewer than five students per year be eliminated, disproportionately impacting small to midsize institutions. While wealthier students may be merely inconvenienced, less privileged students may find their dreams derailed.
In addition, S.B. 1 could impede being inclusive to all students in the classroom. I have been a professor for nearly 20 years. Far from seeking to indoctrinate students, I encourage them to decide for themselves which principles to embrace. On the other hand, I believe in the importance of accessibility, with the same opportunity to learn extended to each student.
Finally, very concerning in S.B. 1 is the removal of a unionized faculty’s ability to strike, which provides teachers with a vitally important voice. An empowered union enfranchises teachers, enabling them to work collaboratively toward our shared educational mission.
Do you believe a college major should not be dictated by where someone attends school? Do you seek to include all students in classroom discussions? Do you see the importance of teachers being empowered to work collaboratively to help students learn? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes,” please join us in the petition for a statewide referendum on S.B.1.
Best Wishes,
Donald J. Priour, Jr.
Donald J. Priour has been a full time Physics professor at Youngstown State University since 2012. Priour grew up in Kerrville, Texas in the Texas Hill Country. He received his bachelor’s degree from Rice University, and he received his masters and doctoral degrees from Princeton University. In terms of research, Priour’s area of interest is theoretical condensed matter Physics with an emphasis on strong disorder. He is fortunate to have teaching assignments that span the range of Physics from introductory to doctoral level courses, and he feels fortunate to have the opportunity to teach in general. On a whimsical side, when not teaching or doing research, Priour occasionally builds igloos; Northeast Ohio seems to provide him with opportunities to work in the snow from time to time.
At The Student, we are committed to engaging with our audience and listening to feedback. This includes publishing a diverse array of guest editorials. For more information on guidelines and processes, email Taylor Powers, The Student's opinion editor, at powerstj@miamioh.edu.
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