Dear Clemson:
There were several articles in The State newspaper last week that raised many questions and led to misunderstandings about the Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI) in Charleston. Several of the inaccurate statements were significant. One questioned our commitment to public review and the right of Clemson faculty to publish and speak freely. We decided that we must correct those misperceptions for the record. I wrote a guest column for The State which was published on Saturday, May 20. To quote from my article: "Academic freedom is one of Clemson's unshakeable core values and is central to the integrity of any research university."
You may read the full text online at http://clemsonews.clemson.edu/WWW_releases/2006/May/CURI_OPED.html
More documents related to the CURI project can be found at http://clemsonews.clemson.edu/CURI/response/index.html
I hope this information will answer any questions you may have, or may receive, as a result of the original articles.
Sincerely,
James F. Barker, FAIA
President