At a legislative hearing yesterday, University of Pittsburgh Provost James Maher defended the school's procedure for shielding students from professors trying to influence them politically, and denied that such a problem exists to any measurable extent.

"There aren't a whole lot of cases," he said.

Mr. Maher was first to testify during day two of the House of Representatives' ongoing investigation into political "indoctrination" at state and state-related schools. The hearing, held at Pitt, was the first of four scheduled.

The "select committee on academic freedom in higher education" was set up by House Republicans. The chief proponent, Rep. Gibson Armstrong, R-Lancaster, says he's collected examples from college students who say they feel intimidated by their professors' liberal politics, or that the professors discuss politics at inappropriate times, like during biology classes.

He -- like Students for Academic Freedom, the Washington, D.C.-based group trying to promote these inquiries nationwide -- worries that colleges "permit liberal-left advocacy and activism to flourish openly." Mr. Armstrong said students at state schools "should be protected from the imposition of ideological orthodoxy."

Democrats are skeptical, saying the Republicans are just trying to intimidate professors and colleges, which are home to more liberals than conservatives. They also wonder why 50 students statewide sought out Mr. Armstrong to complain about liberal professors, but didn't complain to any other lawmakers.

"I am always suspicious when I suspect someone is cooking the books," said Rep. John Pallone, D-Westmoreland.

Mr. Armstrong served as Mr. Maher's chief adversary yesterday, asking whether familiar campus terms like "cultural studies," "advocacy," "gender diversity," "economic justice" and "social justice" were all really code words for what are liberal political philosophies.

Mr. Armstrong also asked if Mr. Maher was concerned that, among Pitt professors who contributed to recent political campaigns, 119 contributed to Democratic candidates, while only 33 supported Republicans.

Mr. Maher reminded Mr. Armstrong that Pitt has 4,000 faculty members, so the number who are politically motivated enough to contribute to a campaign is actually quite small.

Pitt senior Rachael Dizard attended the bias hearing and spoke to the panel after the invited speakers were finished.

She'd "never once been penalized for arguing with one of our professors," she said.