University wants faculty blog shut down

Claiming that a faculty blog is using “trade names and marks” without permission and violating University policies requiring “civility and professionalism of all University faculty members,” Chicago State University is demanding that the blog be taken down. A blog which has been critical of the school’s administration.

As reported by the Chicago Tribune’s Juan Perez Jr. (@PerezJr), the blog labeled as “the faculty’s uncensored voice” has been online since 2009. Chicago State has long suffered from low graduation rates and financial mismanagement.

From Phillip Beverly, one of eight faculty blogging in their names or pseudonyms,

I know, as a faculty member, I don’t run the university. I can’t stop what’s going on there, but I can shine the light of day on it. That’s the purpose of the blog, to put into the public sphere what is happening in the name of the citizens of Illinois.

Following last Friday’s cease and desist letter from VP and General Counsel, Patrick Cage, a reference to Chicago State has been removed from the blog banner and replaced with ‘Crony State University.’ A building from campus has been replaced with a building from another campus.

Tom Wogan, a university spokesman, said the legal notice was unrelated to quarrels between the administration and the school’s faculty. “That’s not why they got the letter, it’s because they’re using the trademark without authorization.”

Yeah right. Just like last year when University officials instructed faculty that as only authorized university representatives could share information with the media, social media communication could require prior approval by the school. The school didn’t want the faculty to be confused for the official word from the school.

Blogs get the word out like nothing before them. What these faculty members done before? Pass out handbills? Protest march? Hold press conferences?

Efforts to muzzle blogs generally fail. Those in positions of purported power, clueless as to social media, are made to be fools in attempted clamp downs. Like here, they only further shine a light on the issues being raised in social media.

I wonder if I’ll get a cease and desist for using a government ‘trademark’ or cause confusion as to being an official voice of Chicago State.