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McGrath's ousting will pave way for real legislation

Women's studies majors, opposite-sex dorm guests and perverted Internet surfers alike have been the happiest groups of people on campus this week. Their source of jubilation? Jean McGrath will not be back in office next year.

But they shouldn't be alone in their celebration, as all students and faculty members ought to be relieved that the Glendale Republican was politely shown the door by her constituents. In the on-going war between the Arizona Legislature and the University of Arizona, McGrath was behind many of the issues that the two institutions butted heads over.

McGrath was the "brains" behind a 1999 plan to eliminate the UA's women's studies department. Why? Because she felt some of the material being taught in one of its classes - English 418, Women in Literature - was inappropriate, and that the readings did not match those presented on the course syllabus.

In January, McGrath again introduced legislation in an attempt to shift control of the university from the local level to the state. First, she wanted to prohibit students living in residence halls from having opposite-sex guests past midnight. This bill, scary as it might seem, actually made it out of her Public Institutions and Universities committee before being shot down by the full House. Also, she wanted to block UA Internet sites from all non-educational sites, therefore controlling which areas of the Web students and faculty members had access to.

Not only were these pieces of legislation a direct slap in the face to the Arizona Board of Regents, the state entity responsible for setting most UA policy, but they were completely offensive to students mature enough to decide what's in their best interest.

[Read More]


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