With Election Day just around the corner, news commentators have had something to say about every word, gesture and piece of clothing along the campaign trail. In this politically charged atmosphere, many people feel the need to discuss their perspectives with others-including professors.

But while UC Berkeley faculty belong to a campus with a long history of noisy activism hailing back to the Free Speech Movement, many said they have no problem keeping their opinions about controversial issues out of the classroom.

Ron Hassner, an assistant professor of political science, said he vehemently refuses to present his own views in class and even tries to confuse his students about his own personal position. He added that he would be surprised if he had one student who knew his party affiliation or his position on any of the issues studied in class.

"As professors we have great influence over our students and ... that's a good thing, but I think that influence is too easily abused," he said. "I go into great pains to present multiple angles on these issues and I have a big problem with professors who don't."

According to the University of California's Policy on Speech and Advocacy, the university supports the constitutional rights of faculty, students or staff to participate in the political process of supporting candidates for public office or any other political activity.

The university's Faculty Code of Conduct guarantees professors free inquiry and exchange of ideas, the right to present controversial material relevant to the course, as well as constitutionally protected freedom of expression. The code also states that professors are restricted from significant intrusion of material unrelated to the course and discrimination against a student on political grounds.

George Lakoff, a linguistics professor, said it is a common misconception that professors who share their opinions are doing so to advocate their positions. While he openly admits to his students that he is progressive, he said his class "The Mind, Language, and Politics" focuses on analyzing political views through a scientific lens.

"The issue is not a matter of my convincing people of my views or anybody else's views, but simply understanding what's going on in everybody's views in terms of neuroscience and cognitive science," he said.

"As a scholar, the material is very balanced. And although he makes no attempts to hide his political orientations, that's not a focus of the class," said sophomore Ryan Finch.

When college faculty make their opinions the focus of the class, they can put their careers in jeopardy. In September, a Metropolitan State College of Denver professor was investigated for assigning a critique of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

UC Berkeley is committed to teaching graduate student instructors how to create an inclusive and professional classroom environment with a standards and ethics course, said Linda von Hoene, director of the GSI Teaching and Resource Center.

"Unless it is an explicit educational objective of the course, instructors should not teach one set of political ideas or values without providing an open opportunity for their discussion and debate, and for alternate understandings or perspectives," she said.

Von Hoene recommended that students with complaints about biased instructors be taken to the faculty member teaching the course, the chair of the department, the faculty advisor for GSI affairs or the Staff Ombuds Office, which handles campus conflicts.

While demonstrations often unfold on Sproul Plaza, many students said they preferred that the classroom remain a zone for neutral discourse.

"I feel that I lose respect for a professor when he outright speaks his political views and doesn't allow us to develop ours on our own," said senior Andrew Holbrook, a double major in German and classical languages.

Senior Kevin Macdonald said that being evenhanded must be difficult for professors in classes about politics.

"It takes a lot to change someone's opinion about something, and one professor making it clear that he believes one thing politically in one class, one hour a week (isn't) really going to affect me in any way," he said.

Some professors said their personal voice can add depth to the material.

David Hollinger, an American history professor, saves his opinions about religion and politics for an "epilogue" on the last day of class. He uses a different voice, and as far as he can tell, students appreciate his candor.

"I do it because I believe that even the most professional of teaching reflects in some ways the background and orientation of the teacher, and in the interest of full disclosure, it is appropriate, at the end of the semester, to share with students something of a teacher's basic outlook on life," he said.

Tags: ELECTIONS 2008, NATIONAL ELECTIONS 2008