June 18, 2008

Syracuse U. Nixes a Political-Science Professor's Polling for Candidates

A political-science professor and veteran pollster at Syracuse University, Jeffrey M. Stonecash, has tentatively agreed to cease using university resources in polls he conducts for political candidates, The Post-Standard, a local newspaper, reported today.

University officials had asked Mr. Stonecash to shut down his operation after a Democratic candidate for Congress complained that the professor was using Syracuse to promote a partisan business for private gain. Mr. Stonecash will meet with university officials later today, at which point the decision may be made final.

Mr. Stonecash, a registered Democrat, has hired students to conduct the polls. During his 24 years as a pollster, he has worked for New York politicians on both sides of the political aisle. He has also polled for nonprofit groups, school districts, private businesses, and the university’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, where he teaches.

Mr. Stonecash’s most recent poll, released in April, was for a Republican Congressional candidate, Dale Sweetland. A spokesman for Mr. Sweetland’s opponent in the race, the Democrat Dan Maffei, said the campaign had not filed a formal complaint with the university but had raised concerns with Syracuse officials.

Kevin Quinn, the university’s vice president for public affairs, acknowledged that an informal complaint had prompted Syracuse to act, but he did not identify the source. —Allie Grasgreen

Comments

1. A political ploy pure and simple. It’s a shame SU officals caved so quickly.

   — Mike    Jun 18, 02:25 PM    #

2. Polling is a commercial industry whose services are not used to advance knowledge (the mission of a university) but to enhance the fortunes of clients. This is properly an industry that belongs in the private sector. Syracuse university receives public support in the form of federal grants, tax deductable donations, and federal student aid. All this is intended to advance the educational and research missions of the university. It is not intended to subsidize services that compete with the private sector. In addition, the fact that Stonecash consults for members of two parties does not in any obviate the fact that his work serves political purposes. The amazing thing is that for 24 years nobody at Syracuse saw this is as compromising the independence and reputation of the university.

   — Prof elsewhere    Jun 18, 02:54 PM    #

3. It’s a shame to see the Syracuse administration continue their bullying of those who present inconvenient information for Democrats.

   You would think that an institution like SU would encourage political discussion and debate, but anything that challenges their far-left agenda cannot be tolerated.

   Stonecash has been dead-on for every single poll he has produced. To shut down his operation is disturbing, disgusting, and blatantly biased. Shame on you, SU. As an alumni, I should be proud to see my school in the news… Not ashamed.

   — Vincent Napolitano    Jun 18, 03:38 PM    #

4. Syracuse Univ. has one of the most overtly Leftist administrations in the Eastern U.S., which is saying something. Republicans and people who work with them are not tolerated. One of the clearest cases in academia of the authoritarianism of the Left.

   — Bob Sarbane    Jun 18, 03:46 PM    #

5. This professor is giving his students hands-on experience in polling. A smarter administration would find a way to make it work, instead of shutting him down.

   — Fred    Jun 18, 03:46 PM    #

6. Vincent (#3) you are an alumnus… “alumni” is plural. And whether or not Stonecash’s polls have been accurate is not the issue; the issue is the use of university funds/resources for private ventures. Stonecash is welcome to have his affiliation with the institution mentioned in any media coverage of his polls or the results thereof.

   — bb    Jun 18, 03:55 PM    #

7. re: “Polling is a commercial industry whose services are not used to advance knowledge (the mission of a university) but to enhance the fortunes of clients.”

   While I agree with what you state, universities are involved in drug testing (in fact, such activities are major cash cows at elite schools). So that litmus test doesn’t fly, unfortunately.

   — Columbia Prof    Jun 18, 04:00 PM    #

8. Syracuse U has gone nuts. Polling is a key part of political science. And it doesn’t matter whether there is a partisan tendency or not—the elements of polling are vital to any poli sci curriculum!

   Maybe professor Stonecash made someone mad, but that hardly gives the university a valid reason to shut down his polling operation. (One can only wonder how many students have found paying work in their field WHILE they learned the nuts and bolts of politics over the past 24 years.) Either there is a major element missing from this story or Syracuse U is craven and cowardly.

   And just as a snide aside, I can’t imagine what, exactly, Prof elsewhere professes. I hope it is something more chaste and pure than political science.

   — BertW    Jun 18, 04:06 PM    #

9. Professors use university resources while consulting for or doing research for private corporations all the time. If university resources can only be used for the “public good” however that might be defined would put a large number of researchers out on the street.

   — Ryan    Jun 18, 04:46 PM    #

10. The article does not make clear that the professor profitted personally from this activity, so we should perhaps hold our fire. (It says only that he was accused of doing so.) It would be inappropriate to use University resources to do so.

    At the same time, polls do increase knowledge (contra post #2) and I would think these projects would provide valuable educational experiences for students interested in careers in the social sciences.

    And don’t lots of university faculty consult for businesses and non-profits? Some professional accrediting organizations require regular engagement in the practice of the discipline. These services are often compensated and are often conducted in the faculty member’s office, using the university’s email, etc. Sometimes they are even arranged by a campus office that seeks to connect university resources with community needs. Of course, there is an issue of balance, proportion, scope, etc.

    We need more information here before condemning or condoning.

    — drj50    Jun 18, 04:49 PM    #

11. The Post-Standard article referenced above states: “Stonecash said he has always paid SU students to conduct the polls — $12.50 per hour this year — and reimbursed SU for its supplies and telephones.” It also states he tries to avoid using his own students in order to avoid conflicts of interest. Apparently he charges a lot less than the commercial polling enterprises too.

    The last time I checked, the university is not allowed to own students (at least since the 13th Ammendment abolished slavery) so they are not “university resources”. Professors in law and medicine earn money by practicing in their fields while teaching, so why can’t Stonecash? The students are getting valuable political experience and earning about twice minimum wage!

    It’s interesting to me that the democratic spokesman for the candidate who complained states that the polls are partisan. He seems to be a little upset that Stonecash’s poll was the only one that correctly predicted a 21% win for a republican in an earlier election. I would think that all the other polls that got it wrong were the partisan ones.

    Anyway you should read the post article too (linked above in the first paragraph).

    — theo    Jun 18, 07:40 PM    #

12. Foolishness and game-playing by the administration. They just didn’t want to chance pissing off anyone.

    — Socially Aware    Jun 19, 04:42 PM    #

13. I know that Quinnipiac and Marist—and perhaps other colleges also—do a lot of political polling. Is there any difference between the protocols they use and that of Prof. Stonecash—or to put it another way, do they pay the costs of the operation rather than the candidate(s) in question?

    — Gustave    Jun 21, 06:59 PM    #

14. So what if the candidates paid Stonecash. His polls were known to be very accurate, according to the Post article. If a candidate wanted a truly “partisan” poll that distorted the facts in his or her favor then I suppose they would not have asked Stonecash. They would go to someone else, unless they were deluded about their own standing at the time of the poll. I get the sense that Maffei, the politician behind the complaints, is in this category. He was busy listening to all the other polls that got it wrong, and ignored the one by Stonecash that was right. Now he has sour grapes and created this whole deal because he is mad.

    Comments posted after the Post article by Stonecash’s students and others indicate that he has a lot of support from them. They were learning how to do accurate political polling, as opposed to “partisan” polling in my view.

    I doubt Stonecash was making a huge profit since his prices were very low compared to the commercial polling companies.

    — theo    Jun 23, 09:45 AM    #

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