Ball State University

EDAD 692 (3 Credit Hours) On-line Course
 “The Administrator and the First Amendment”

Goal:  To help administrators better understand the First Amendment and the complexity of media law in a discussion-based, on-line course format.  Administrators will be exposed to a variety of ideas about student expression and how a better First Amendment environment can produce students who are better informed and engaged citizens who will someday vote and actively participate in the democratic process.

Why a First Amendment Course for Principals?
Principals and administrators are inundated with First Amendment issues in their schools.  From cyber-misconduct on and off campus to lawsuits against school districts, administrators, parents, teachers, and the courts continue to grapple with where to draw the line in determining the limits between free expression and the First Amendment in our increasingly complex society. 

How do administrators strike a balance between student free speech and school safety concerns? Do students have the right to post material on their MySpace page that school administrators disagree with?  What is the effect of censorship on student media? Can principals and teachers better educate students about the rights and responsibilities that are key components of the First Amendment?

What will the course cover?
EDAD 692 will address the history and meaning of the First Amendment and how it applies to today’s schools.  Other topics include media law and cases of significance (Tinker, Hazelwood, Bethel, Morse, the challenges of free speech and accountability in the Internet age, the principal and student media adviser relationship, free speech and safety concerns, and discipline and the school climate.

Who is teaching the course?
The on-line course is offered by Ball State University’s Teachers College, in conjunction with the Department of Journalism and College of Communication, Information, and Media. Dr. Joseph McKinney, chair of the Teachers College, Department of Education Leadership, and Warren Watson, director of the J-IDEAS First Amendment Institute in the Department of Journalism will teach the course. 

The on-line class will be offered again in summer 2008.

Graduate and Continuing Education Credits are available.  To enroll in the Fall 2007 on-line course and for more information, call 1-800-872-0369 or e-mail distance@bsu.edu or call J-IDEAS at (765) 285-8923 or email Brenda Pritchard at bpritchard@bsu.edu.