After finding the graphic novels required for her English course to be too graphic, Tara Schultz, a student at Crafton Hills College, asked her university to “eradicate” the "pornographic and violent" books. The college’s administration spoke to MRCTV about their plans for the offending content.
In an email, Donna Hoffman, public relations officer for Crafton Hills College, wrote:
“In response to the request of a student to ‘eradicate’ books from CHC’s ENG 250 class on graphic novels—CHC is not ‘banning’ any books or changing the content of the course, which ended in May.”
Hoffman quoted Dr. Cheryl Marshall, the president of the college, who supports the content on academic freedom grounds:
‘I support the college’s policy on academic freedom which requires an open learning environment at the college. Students have the opportunity to study controversial issues and arrive at their own conclusions and faculty are to support the student’s right to freedom of inquiry. We want students to learn and grow from their college experiences; sometimes this involves reaffirming one’s values while other times beliefs and perspectives change.’
The vice president of instruction for the university, Dr. Bryan Reece, defended the English 250 professor who assigned the graphic novels, Ryan Bartlett:
'To prepare our students for successful professional lives, we are intentionally trying to engage them in critical dialogues around difficult and contemporary issues. Professor Bartlett is a model example of this approach.'
There was a small victory, however, for Schultz. Going forward, Barlett has agreed to include a disclaimer on his course syllabus:
“In this specific case, the syllabus distributed on the first day of class contained the list of required reading materials allowing students the opportunity to research the books and make a choice about the class. The class is one of numerous electives available for completion of the English degree. In an attempt to avoid this situation in the future, Professor Bartlett has agreed to include a disclaimer on the syllabus in the future so students have a better understanding of the course content. The wording of that disclaimer has not been finalized."
The administration also maintained there are alternative courses available that satisfy the requirements for an English degree, assuring that students are not forced to take Bartlett's English 250 course.
Schultz, her parents, and her friends object to the inclusion of four graphic novels in Bartlett's course curriculum: Alison Bechdel’s “Fun Home,” Brian Vaughan’s “Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1,” Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll’s House," and Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis." The graphic novels include depictions of violence and, according to Schultz, pornography.
Bartlett did not respond to MRCTV's request for comment.