Clinton and the impeachment process
UB offers courses, Web information on 'hot' political issues

By Mara McGinnis
News Services Editor

Tired of the media coverage of the impeachment trial? Looking for fresh insight on the situation?

UB is offering some academic outlets and viewpoints via the classroom, television and the Web-to accommodate those seeking information on this momentous occasion in our country's history.

Barry Smith, professor of philosophy, has created a class on the philosophical aspects of the Clinton issues; Jim Twombly, assistant professor of political science, is teaching a telecourse on "The American Presidency," and Lockwood Library is featuring a resource on the UB Libraries' Web site titled "Impeachment: A Select Guide to Information."

Smith says his new American Pluralism course, "Clinton: A Philosophical Exploration," deals with general topics, including lying, adultery, honor, authority, role models, sexual harassment and power, rather than narrow, day-to-day political issues.

Since American Pluralism is a general-education requirement, Smith's course has enrolled about 200 students with a wide range of majors and interests. "Student reaction has been tremendous," says Smith. "Contrary to what people said in anticipation-that people were bored stiff by the Clinton matters-I find a very high degree of class interest and involvement."

Smith says he tries to teach "argument by example" in his class.

"I try to show students how they can deal with important issues of race, class, gender and sex in a rational way, by involving them in discussions and debates in which opposing sides of an issue are given equal time. The Clinton matters were, it seemed to me, an interesting focus point for a wide range of issues of this sort."

According to Smith, college students today are "confirmed in their somewhat anarchistic, relativistic, happy-go-lucky prejudices by President Clinton's seemingly magical powers to escape punishment from his enemies."

However, he also believes students are "beginning to be troubled by a small whisper, coming from deep within themselves, which tells them that cutting moral corners may be wrong after all...and that objective morality will win out in the end."

Smith also has posted an interesting collection of debatable readings to be used in his class online within the "Clinton Philosophy Deposit" located at http://wings.buffalo.edu/philosophy/faculty/smith/clinton.

Twombly's course, "The American Presidency," traditionally is offered through the Department of Political Science. However given the current presidential situation, Millard Fillmore College (MFC) has added it to its list of telecourses. The three-credit course is open to the Western New York community for the cost of regular UB tuition and fees, based on student status.

It also is available in televised class sessions via local cable-access television at no charge but without academic credit.

"The course is intended as a community service from UB to help everyone understand the recent headlines in greater depth," said James Anderson, director of instructional technology at MFC.

Twombly says the course is not a history class but rather "a look at the American presidency as an institution as shaped by the individuals who occupy the office."

The class sessions will air at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and 11 p.m. on Sundays, repeating at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. the following Saturdays.

For those who would rather read about the impeachment matters, Lockwood has compiled a well-organized Web guide intended to "place the situation in context" at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/lml/govdocsubj/impeachment.html. Librarians have carefully selected information in an attempt to avoid partisan sources.

The guide is broken into sections including "Report of the Independent Counsel," "The White House Rebuttal and Supplementary Documentation," "Relevant Sections of the Constitution," "Non-Partisan Background Information about Impeachment," "President Clinton's Situation" and "The Impeachment Trial."

Highlights include a section on the "Impeachment of Andrew Johnson," which links to a site that has reproduced more than 200 excerpts from Harper's Weekly printed between 1865-69, a link to a site prepared by the National Archives on "Watergate and the Constitution," as well as links to legal briefs presenting the president's position, proceedings of the trial in print and audio-visual formats by C-SPAN and CNN, and the Senate's rules for conducting the trial.

The impeachment guide is found on the "Featured Resource" page of the UB libraries Web site, which highlights new or important resources or services at UB. Visit the page at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/featured/.