Could College Hall become the next campaign soapbox?
Several university presidents have chosen to endorse a candidate in the 2008 presidential election, but Penn President Amy Gutmann says she will not be one of them.
As nonprofit organizations, universities are legally prohibited from engaging in campaign-related activities, Political Science professor and Fels Institute director Don Kettl said.
"It's hard for the head of a major nonprofit to make an endorsement without it reflecting back on the organization," he added.
Some presidents have nonetheless chosen to make endorsements as private individuals.
University of Florida President Bernie Machen endorsed Sen. John McCain on Jan. 21.
The McCain campaign posted Machen's endorsement on its Web site, noting that it "should in no way be construed as an endorsement by the University of Florida."
Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr. endorsed Mike Huckabee in November 2007.
Falwell has since come under scrutiny from political watchdog groups claiming he used University resources - including e-mail and stationary - in his endorsement.
Kettl said that while university presidents do not surrender their freedom of speech upon assuming their positions, many "want to run their universities as places to foster a free and open interchange of ideas."
Gutmann said it would be "practically impossible" for her to endorse a candidate in partisan politics when she is "committed" to serving in a nonpartisan role as University president.
She added that it would be "wrong" for her to endorse a candidate "because it would be very difficult to convince people that my endorsement had nothing to do with my presidency of the University."
Choosing not to endorse a candidate is "not so much putting forward a message," Kettl said. Rather, it is "creating an atmosphere where all of the members of the university community can pursue their own political ideas as they see fit."
In the end, Gutmann said, "I just have too much of a bully pulpit."
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