May 2013: Ball State begins reviewing the Boundaries of Science class, taught by Eric Hedin, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy.
June 2013: The university picks a panel of four professors — three within the university and one from Indiana University — to investigate Hedin’s course.
September 2013: The Discovery Institute sends a letter to Ball State to ask for reviews of four classes it claimed were integrating atheism or were taught by unqualified professors.
October 2013: Ball State announces its intention to review all of the Honors College courses for the appropriateness of the teaching style, teachers’ qualifications and course materials.
October 2013: The university also changes the way it conducted course reviews. Instead of an informal process previously used, Ball State moves to an advisory council and four subcommittees — social sciences, humanities, natural sciences and colloquia — to examine classes taught in the Honors College.
July 2013: President Jo Ann Gora releases a statement that says intelligent design is not a science and academic freedom is not an issue at hand.
March 10, 2014: Sen. Dennis Kruse, Sen. Travis Holdman, Sen. Greg Walker and Rep. Jeffrey Thompson send a letter to Gora to ask the university to answer questions pertaining to the treatment of Hedin.
March 18, 2014: Gora responds, asking to speak with the legislators in person.
UPDATE
Ball State University officials and legislators have began scheduling a meeting to discuss Ball State’s handling of an intelligent design controversy that arose over the summer.
University spokesperson Joan Todd said the meeting will be on campus, tentatively on April 3. She said she believes three of the four legislators interested have committed to attend.
Todd said the meeting will be private, and the university is currently working out who will represent Ball State during the meeting.
EARLIER
University President Jo Ann Gora has asked four legislators to meet in person to discuss a disagreement about teaching intelligent design and science on campus.
Indiana legislators, led by Senate Education Committee Chairman Dennis Kruse, previously sent complaints about the university’s treatment of Eric Hedin, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy, after he was accused of teaching intelligent design instead of science in an Honors College colloquium.
In the letter, Kruse, Sen. Travis Holdman, Sen. Greg Walker and Rep. Jeffrey Thompson said they are concerned that improper procedures were followed when investigating Hedin this summer and that some members of the committee created to investigate him included those with a conflict of interest that were “predisposed to be hostile to his viewpoint.”
In her response dated March 18, Gora said university governmental affairs representatives have met with the legislators, and both parties agree that a personal discussion is more appropriate than written responses.
“I have asked our governmental affairs representatives to coordinate with each of your offices and find a date that works for the four of you,” the letter reads. “In addition to the meeting, I would hope you could stay for lunch and a tour of the campus.”
The senators’ original letter asked for a response from Gora by Monday to answer whether the university’s decision about teaching intelligent design forbids professors from expressing their support or rejection of religious ideas if questioned by students.
Although a date to meet has not been secured, Gora said in the letter that she welcomes the opportunity to discuss the situation.
“Our campus is a wonderful place, and we’d love to share some of the good things that are taking place,” she wrote.
The controversy started when Ball State received complaints from the Freedom from Religion Foundation in May that Hedin was integrating intelligent design into one of his Honors College classes.
“This class does not appear to be an honest investigation into the intersection of science and religion,” the letter said.
Intelligent design is the idea that the universe’s existence is from a creator and is closely aligned with Christianity and other major religions.
The Discovery Institute, an intelligent design organization, sent Ball State a letter over the summer saying the review infringed on Hedin’s academic freedom, but Gora released a statement in late July saying intelligent design is not a science and academic freedom was not the issue at hand.
“Intelligent design is overwhelmingly deemed by the scientific community as a religious belief and not a scientific theory,” her statement said. “Therefore, intelligent design is not appropriate content for science courses.”
Sam Hoyt contributed to this story
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