With the looming possibility of war and soldiers departing to the Middle East, heated debate about conflict in Iraq is circulating through the classrooms of many universities.

Some people are questioning whether professors have the right to express their personal beliefs.

Sam Richards, professor of sociology, said teachers and professors have the right to offer personal views about the war during discussions. He said teachers inevitably express their opinions when teaching a class.

"You can't keep your own ideologies out of the classroom completely. I can't imagine a situation in which we teach ideology-free," he said.

Richards added that teachers must give students the opportunity to disagree. Because teachers possess the power in the classroom to decide what to discuss, they should not use that power to shut students down, he said.

Harry Max (freshman-liberal arts) said he thinks teachers voicing their own beliefs affects students' ability to make their own decisions.

"When teachers put their own beliefs out there, they influence my own because most teachers are somewhat intelligent, and I listen to the different standpoints, which makes me question my own," he said.

Some instructors say the college classroom is a good place to discuss personal thoughts on the war.

Part of the function of a large university is to facilitate discussions about social issues affecting the nation, said D. Scott Bennett, associate professor of political science. It is perfectly acceptable for teachers to state personal beliefs in the classroom, he said.

"Faculty members are humans, so they are going to have opinions about all issues," he said.

Teachers interjecting their personal thoughts become unacceptable when they present their opinions as fact, or tell students what is right or wrong, he said. The best thing for teachers to do is allow counter-statements and allow open discussion among students, Bennett said.

"This can be an effective way to get students to learn. Sometimes the best learning occurs when a faculty member says something outrageous," he said.

Brandon Gustafson (freshman-engineering), said he usually welcomes his professors' personal opinions.

"When teachers state their own beliefs, I think students become more involved and interested in the classroom discussion. There is nothing wrong with an open debate involving a teacher," he said.

Bill Milz (freshmen-division of undergraduate studies) is also receptive to opinionated teachers.

"I like the idea of teachers talking about war because, for the most part, they are more educated," he said. "If you have a teacher or professor who knows what they are talking about, they could open the eyes to a new perspective."

Other students said teachers should not share their personal thoughts about war in the classroom.

Yuan Tang (sophomore-psychology and advertising) said teachers should not provide their personal beliefs because it hinders students from forming their own beliefs. When professors express their own ideology, there is the possibility a teacher could bias or taint their curriculum, which would affect students' decisions, she said.

"At most, the teacher should mention their beliefs, but not dwell on them. Teachers should be facilitating discussion, but not by going on and on about their beliefs," she said.