Agribusiness’s beef with Michael Pollan, plus a side of academic freedom?
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Harris Ranch Beef Co. chairman David E. Wood pledged $150,000 for a new meat processing plant on Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s campus, but threatened to “rethink” his “continued financial support” after the university booked a lecture by sustainable food guru Michael Pollan, which took place today. Wood’s also unhappy about an animal science professor who called conventional feedlots (like Harris Ranch) unsustainable. Pollan still spoke—albeit as part of a panel—and the money remains pledged, but how do universities navigate academic freedom in tight financial times?
Also on this episode
Guests:
David Wehner, dean at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Robert C. Post, dean and Sol & Lilliam Goldman professor of law, Yale Law School; he was instrumental in crafting the UC system’s academic freedom policy while at UC Berkeley’s Bolt Hall
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Day In A Page Radio/Story Archive
3 months, 3 weeks ago
Get Harris Ranch Beef Co. chairman David E. Wood on here to defend his position and whether he thinks thats good for education.
3 months, 3 weeks ago
The Dean never answered your question. he went and told a story from a couple of years ago which was a non sequetor. I think the dean has squirmed out of answering your original question. WHAT a POLITICIAN!
3 months, 3 weeks ago
I have my MA from Cal Poly SLO and learned in my course of study there about censorship. This is a clear case. Dean Wehner bowed to financial pressure to change the presentation. And for a meat processing plant? Thanks for making the school look like it lacks the ability to fairly debate ideas and systems.
3 months, 3 weeks ago
Another question: How does the meat processing plant donation benefit Harris Ranch? Does Cal Poly process meat?
3 months, 3 weeks ago
As we say in the swine business, pigs is pigs. And all the hookers are not on 7th Avenue. Some are in the universities where their interest in academic freedom can be easily challenged by a fat wallet on the art of somebody who disagrees with a scheduled speaker's views.
It was dead wrong to let any view of any person of any speaker to change anything.
It was an act of cowardice.
3 months, 3 weeks ago
You failed on this one Patt... the real story you completely avoided is how does the money Harris Ranch may or may not donate impact what gets communicated to students in the long run?
I am left wondering why you didn't have David E. Wood or a spokesperson from Harris Ranch on? Was it a personal donation from the guy who happens to run Harris Ranch or is it attached to the company? What other strings may he want attached. Please consider doing a follow up.
3 months, 2 weeks ago
People, it's not about the money or the influence, it's about Mr. Wood's conviction (and more than a million American farmers agree)that Michael Pollen, while he may mean well, is disparaging American agriculture and the food system with nary a fact in his arsenal. Organic food isn't more nutritious, vegetarianism isn't better for your health, organic production and free range hogs aren't better for the environment or for the animal necessarily. Mr. Pollen's book, his lectures, and his movie could be made better if he used facts and not hype and fiction. It's about time someone stood up to the take-over of American universities by liberal no nothings!