President Bush's proposed presidential library complex at Southern Methodist University was met with outcry this week from university faculty members.

The complex would contain three parts: a library, a museum and the Bush Institute — a think tank that would host programs, symposiums and public speakers.

The Bush Institute would be a separate entity from the university and therefore would not report to SMU. However, the complex would be located on the university's campus in Dallas.

Protesters say that because the Bush Institute would be located on campus, it would inevitably be associated with the university.

Mathematics professor Richard Haberman said the general public would automatically draw connections between SMU and the institute due to its location.

"SMU's name is not even [on the institute] because it's independent," Haberman said. "In reality, most people would associate the two together."

Haberman called the Bush proposal extreme because it does not give SMU any control over the institute.

"The proposal given to SMU has the Bush Administration having complete control [over the Bush Institute]," Haberman said. "SMU administration accepted that without much negotiation."

Haberman said opponents at SMU fear the institute would promote both Bush and GOP policies at the university.

Art history professor Annemarie Weyl Carr said she fears the institute would promote Bush's policies at the expense of academic freedom.

"My concern is with how it would condition the intellectual life," Carr said. "Faculty would constantly be for or against the ideals of the institute."

Carr said the institute could infringe on academic freedoms because it would be fundamentally and ideologically motivated.

"The university is an institute that studies things [and should] not be bonded on the basis of promoting an ideology," Carr said.

Donald Downs, a University of Wisconsin political science professor, said a partisan institute would not necessarily impact academic freedoms.

"Academic freedom is a choice to set up an institute that does what it wants to do," Downs said. "[The Bush Institute] should get to pick who they want to bring in."

The UW has dozens of centers, Downs said, all of which individually choose speakers and programs to promote.

Patti LaSalle, associate vice president and executive director in the Office of Public Affairs at SMU, said the presidential library complex would have a variety of positive benefits, especially when asking for donations.

"The complex may be seen as a unique feature of SMU, which can be beneficial for admissions and contributions." LaSalle said.

She also said the library and its programs would benefit all SMU students.

"The library will make the most difference to students majoring in political science, law or history," LaSalle added.

Haberman said most universities with presidential library complexes have much larger student bodies than SMU, adding the university may not have the resources to accommodate such a large complex.

"The size of the institute could overwhelm resources at SMU," Haberman said.

Due to SMU's small size, the presidential library complex could have a large impact on the university, Downs said.

"The smaller the school, [the] more concern there should be," he added. "Madison is so big, no single center sets any kind of tone."