The Chronicle of Higher Education, a consistently well-written and highly informative source of information read by America's academic elite, is sponsoring an online forum about bias in higher education. I encourage everyone concerned about the subject to take part. Submit questions ahead of time by going here: http://chronicle.com/colloquylive/2004/09/discrimination/question.php3
Here's how the Chronicle lays out the question:

Each of the four times that Robert G. Natelson said he wanted to teach constitutional law, he was turned down. Mr. Natelson, a professor of law at the University of Montana, says the decisions were based on his conservative political views and not on his scholarship and teaching. So this summer he appealed the decisions and won the chance to teach the course on a trial basis.

Mr. Natelson is one of several conservative professors battling what they describe as discrimination stemming from the overwhelmingly liberal bias on campuses and the lack of professors like them in the academy. In this election year, when the only thing a polarized American public seems to agree on is that the divide between liberals and conservatives is greater than ever, conservatives are railing against liberal dominance of higher education, a situation that they say has curtailed the free exchange of ideas that colleges should foster.

Conservative professors say they face unique challenges among liberals who ostracize them and deny them professional opportunities because of their political views. Should universities hire more professors on the right to increase intellectual diversity? Are conservative professors' claims of discrimination overblown -- or underplayed?

Robert G. Natelson is a professor of law at the University of Montana. A fan of Ronald Reagan, a free-market conservative, and an unsuccessful Republican gubernatorial candidate, he was hired in 1987 to teach property law and has published nine articles on constitutional law. He will respond to questions and comments about these issues on Thursday, September 23, at 1 p.m., U.S. Eastern time. Readers are welcome to post questions and comments now.

The discussion takes place on Thursday, September 23, at 1 p.m., U.S. Eastern time. To take part (I think this is open to everyone, not just Chronicle subscribers) on Thursday at that time go to the same Web page:
http://chronicle.com/colloquylive/2004/09/discrimination/chat.php3