PHOENIX — On June 30th, ASU is ending the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development.
The center prepares Barrett Honors College students for the challenges and opportunities of life.
The university says the donor responsible for funding the center is terminating his contribution. But the executive director suspects the end of the Lewis Center may have more to do with academic freedom and cancel culture.
In February, the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development hosted an event on health, wealth and happiness. The panel included Charlie Kirk of Turning Point and conservative broadcaster Dennis Prager.
Many of the faculty at the Barrett Honors College were not happy about the inclusion of Kirk and Prager. One professor tweeted: My college sold its soul to the highest bidder. What an outrageous embarrassment, money over ethics.
Ann Atkinson is the executive director of T.W. Lewis Center and organized the event.
"They decided media matters and said Dennis Prager and Charlie Kirk were purveyors of hate," Atkinson said, "dangerous to women, people of color, LGBTQ and they were in direct opposition to the values of Barrett."
Since Atkinson joined the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development in 2021, the center produced nearly 150 programs, workshops and courses.
In an opinion piece published Monday in the Wall Street Journal, Atkinson said organizing that February even cost her, her job. "The faculty went on to condemn the program on a national level in their personal Twitter campaigns, they used precious classroom time to talk to students condemning and shaming our program. scaring the students," Atkinson said.
A university spokesperson said "Arizona State University remains committed to, in practice, not just rhetoric, all things that support free speech and all of its components. The event in question was held and was a success."
ASU maintains Atkinson's current job at the university will no longer exist after June 30th because the donor who created and funded the Lewis Center decided to terminate his donation. ASU is working to determine how we can support the most impactful elements of the center without external funding.
Atkinson was eligible to stay on at the university in another capacity but declined.
