Dear George-

Below is an email sent out today by the Medical Center administration to Medical Center employees. Just another fine example of democracy and freedom of speech working for the citizenry of Virginia. The way I read it is every employee has freedom of speech-just OFF the job.

I'm outraged that UVA is trying to squelch conversations with our ELECTED officials. Guess the academic side will be next.

Jan Cornell (electronic mail, December 8, 2004)

"This message is from Ed Howell, Dean Tim Garson and Dean Jeanette Lancaster:

With the General Assembly soon to be in session, we want to remind all faculty and staff of the process established to deal with legislative issues. The Medical Center Office of State and Federal Relations, headed by Sally Barber, works with the University Office of State Governmental Relations, headed by Nancy Rivers, to assure that the University speaks with one voice in Richmond.

From time to time you may be requested by agencies or organizations outside the University to contact or write to state legislators regarding specific legislative issues, or you may be requested to testify before legislative committees due to your expertise. Any official effort by the Health System or any of its units, including efforts by Clinical Staff Members, other school of Medicine Faculty and School of Nursing Faculty, must be reviewed, endorsed and coordinated by the Medical Center Office of State and Federal Relations. Please contact Sally Barber at 243-5788 (snb4af@virginia.edu) or Corey Feist at 243-9958 (cfeist@virginia.edu) promptly regarding requests for official Health System contact (in person or telephonic), written responses (letters or electronic mail) or presentations/testimony to legislators or legislative committees as a representative of the Medical Center or the Health System.

Further, the media may contact you for your views on a particular piece of legislation. Please refer all media calls on legislative issues to the Public Relations office at 924-5679. In accordance with University policy, you may respond to legislative requests or make your legislative views known in your capacity as a private citizen of the Commonwealth. In such case, University resources should not be used when participating as a citizen in the legislative process.

Thank you for your help with this important undertaking."