Thanks to a new Web site, University faculty and administrators have a new tool that allows them to make their opinions available to the public for debate and discussion.
The Web site, Faculty Opinions, allows faculty to electronically publish papers in op-ed or short essay form.
"The style essentially means the length is usually from 600 to 800 words and in a conversational newspaper style," said Charlotte Crystal, opinion editor of the new Web site.
Crystal said the essays will include a wide range of topical issues.
"Hopefully, if an op-ed is going to be good, it has to be very timely, very targeted, and a pointed piece with a strong opinion," University Spokesperson Carol Wood said.
The site -- linked off of U.Va. Top News Daily -- provides an alternative medium, other than traditional newspapers, for faculty who wish to express their opinions.
"A number of faculty have been submitting op-ed pieces over the past few years, and they have been good," Crystal said. "But because of the competition in trying to get into the top newspapers, some of them didn't come up, so we wanted a place to put them in for the public to read."
Retired Politics Prof. R.K. Ramazani, who has been affiliated with the University for over 50 years, authored a piece about U.S. foreign policy toward Iran that is currently featured on the site.
Ramazani said he believes the site is an exceptional tool.
"I think it's a great idea for the faculty, even for retired faculty such as myself," Ramazani said. "People do not stop writing or thinking -- this is our life."
Motivation for the Web site also stemmed from the desire to have more op-ed pieces placed in newspapers across the country, Wood said.
"Charlotte has been taking a lead in helping them with that," she said.
Crystal added that the site may enable faculty to more easily get their opinions into broader public policy debates.
Crystal said she is responsible for looking at submissions and has discretion over what is published.
Ramazani said he is grateful for Crystal's hard work, which has helped make the new site a reality.
"Charlotte Crystal should be given a lot of credit," Ramazani said. "I have been impressed by her selfless help to the faculty. She is not just somebody who thinks about setting up a Web site. She is very involved in encouraging faculty to do op-ed -- that is, to me, very worthy."
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