Academic freedom at public Pennsylvania universities like Penn State has made headlines since the state Legislature formed a committee in July to investigate university classroom bias. Now the issue has reached the Pacific Coast.

University of California-Los Angeles alumnus Andrew Jones started a campaign two weeks ago to offer students $100 for proof of radical bias in the classroom.

When he made this offer, along with posting a list of the "Dirty Thirty" most extreme left-wing professors at the university, he sparked the ire of many members of the academic world.

Facing widespread public outcry against his tactics, Jones withdrew the monetary reward last week.

His campaign, however, is still drawing criticism from the Penn State community.

"This is not academic freedom -- this is a witch hunt under the guise of academic freedom," said Greg Howling, president of the Penn State American Civil Liberties Union, said.

Several community members echoed Howling's concerns.

Michael Bérubé, Penn State literature professor, has publicly criticized legislation addressing academic freedom on campus.

He said in his own classroom, he tries to create an environment where people are safe from ridicule but also free to express their own opinions.

During the summer, the state Legislature passed House Resolution 177, which established a committee to look at academic atmosphere and instances of faculty bias at state-owned and state-related universities.

"It's a delicate balance, and I can't imagine that formal measures would help sustain it, particularly if one of those measures involves stunts like [that of] Andrew Jones," he said.

He said Jones' offer was both "ill-advised and destructive."

"Jones didn't go after those professors because of anything they did or said in a classroom," Bérubé said. "He went after them for various "thought crimes" like writing for liberal magazines or signing anti-war petitions."

Alex Smith, College Democrats president, said he did not see the political affiliations of professors in the classroom as a problem.

"Students weren't born yesterday," Smith said. "I'm not afraid of college students being indoctrinated by the views of their professors."

However, Shauna Moser, chairman of Young Americans for Freedom, said that critics who call Jones' offer a witch hunt are just looking for an easy scapegoat.

"Instead of questioning themselves and the ethical implications of what they're doing when they impose their liberal beliefs, they immediately say conservatives are out for a witch hunt," Moser said. "It's not that at all."

Recent reports show that in the last five years, 13 formal bias complaints -- against a range of political ideologies in the classroom -- have been lodged against Penn State.

"There are thousands of sections of classes taught each year and there have only been a handful of complaints," Sam Richards, Penn State senior lecturer in sociology, said. "That's not a problem, that's a remarkable accomplishment."

Moser, however, said that the low number of formal complaints was misleading.

"If someone had paid me $100 each time I encountered bias in class, I would be paying off my student loans by now," she said.

Moser also said that the low number was more of a reflection of students' lack of desire to publicly protest bias, rather than an actual lack of bias on campus.

"We don't report it because it's way too much of a hassle and a waste of time," she said. "What are they going to do about it, slap him on the wrist?"

Vicky Cangelosi, College Republicans president, said that even though it might seem like a low number of reported incidents, it is still an unacceptable number.

"Maybe 13 incidents doesn't sound like a lot, but pretend it was 13 incidents of racial discrimination Ã~ that's a big deal," Cangelosi said. "Discrimination is discrimination."