One of the Loyola College psychology professors conducting a controversial seminar on human sexuality for undergraduates denied last night that pornographic films are shown, as critics on and off the campus have contended.
"The only part of the criticism I resent is that any of the materials we use are pornographic," Charles T. LoPresto said. "It is a question of intent."
Dr. LoPresto spoke before an evening session of the seminar in Knott Hall that drew about half of the 63 undergraduates who had signed up for it. Only registered students, who pay $20 for the series of six voluntary, noncredit sessions, were admitted to the classroom.
The showing of explicit videos of various sex acts, both homosexual and heterosexual, as part of the seminar has stirred a campus debate about their appropriateness on a Roman Catholic campus.
In the last two issues of Loyola's student weekly newspaper and after a recent forum on the campus, the debate has grown to include discussions of censorship, academic freedom, values-free vs. values-based education and whether Catholic stands on homosexuality, premarital sex and masturbation are being upheld or are justified.
The school's administration issued a statement yesterday that said in part, "Loyola College is recognized as . . . supportive of and conducive to values-based education in the Jesuit and Catholic tradition . . . in a diverse and changing world.
"The Human Sexuality Seminar is offered in the interest of student health . . . [and] is designed to help educate undergraduate students in the context of the world in which they live."
The statement also said: "The instructional materials used in exploring human sexual behavior in this course are developed by professionals in the sex education field. In some cases, the content is explicit. When the focus of the class moves from presentation to discussion, two Jesuit priests are present to provide Catholic moral perspective."
Although some students contend that the time devoted to moral questions is inadequate, the Rev. William J. Sneck, one of the Jesuits, said he was satisfied. The other priest, the Rev. Frank R. Haig, said his comments would be to a committee.