Students Indifferent to Tobacco-Research Deal

Source from:  commonwealthtimes.com 8/28/08  08/29/2008

A 2006 research contract between VCU and tobacco giant Philip Morris USA has garnered a massive amount of national media attention, but not necessarily attention from students. The New York Times was first to weigh in on VCU's decision, when they published an article May 22 titled "At one university, tobacco money is a secret." President Eugene P. Trani acknowledged this article again in an e-mail Wednesday night. Within 12 hours, the Richmond TimesDispatch published an article, which - in large part - defended the contract. In the weeks following, more than 45 articles addressing the issue were published by a wide array of publications across the country. Some of these articles were unfavorable to VCU, such as The Scientist's article titled "Virginia U in secretive tobacco deal," a Roanoke Times editorial titled "VCU's deal with the devil," and Genome Technology Online's article "On sale now: ethics" (for a complete list of articles, see the news section of commonwealthtimes.com). The critical coverage stems from aspects of the contract forbidding VCU researchers from publishing certain results, and forbidding VCU faculty members and administrators from speaking to the media about the contract, without Philip Morris' permission. Despite the focuses of this type of coverage, some students said the agreement does not concern them. "As far as not disclosing everything that's going on, that's their business as a business," said Marge Weimer, a mass communications major. "For now, I'm satisfied (with the confidentiality)." "We are hurting for funding-this is a growing university," Weimer said. Creative-advertising major Jeff Smith said the contract did not strike him as "odd." "They can do business with whoever they want," he said. Regarding the confidentiality agreements, Smith said he thought the research "should be published." "It seems like it should be public information," he said. "I'm not sure why they would really want to keep this under wraps unless they're up to no good." Smith went on to say it was "a little weird" the research might not be published, but it would not "weigh" on his mind "unless I was, in some way, directly connected to this situation, which I'm not," Smith said. Weimer said she thought college-age students in general would not be concerned with the research relationship. "If it's not something that's directly ... in their face, they're probably not going to pay attention to it," Weimer said. Adjunct professor Mary Ann Owens said the possible apathy is generational, and she was not surprised by the reactions of students. Owens briefly discussed the issue in some of her mass communications classes and said most of her students were completely unaware of the agreement. "This generation channels its passions differently to social cause," Owens said. "If it doesn't affect them, they don't care." Enditem