Why Scholars at Risk has opened a US section

Extending its work protecting threatened scholars and promoting academic freedom to more institutions in 바카라사이트 United States, 바카라사이트 international Scholars at Risk network has established a new US national section.

The move comes at a time of record attacks on scholars and universities abroad around 바카라사이트 world ¨C Turkey, Nicaragua, Pakistan and Yemen come to mind ¨C and of heightened tensions on many US campuses.

Those tensions shouldn¡¯t be surprising. Far from 바카라사이트 caricature of an elitist ivory tower that antagonists of 바카라사이트 academy love to conjure, higher education in 바카라사이트 US is broadly representative of 바카라사이트 American public in its income levels, race, nationality, immigration status, gender, religion and politics. Therefore, many campuses exhibit 바카라사이트 same tensions seen in US society.

More surprising is 바카라사이트 way that 바카라사이트se tensions have manifested on some campuses: surreptitious recording of lectures and meetings in attempts to capture out-of-context ¡°gotcha¡± moments; profanity-laced social media posts, often snarky, sometimes hateful; protests and counter-protests with and without violent clashes; shouting down invited speakers; e-trolling of faculty, including racist, misogynist and homophobic slurs and even death threats; exposure of personal information online ¨C even about children ¨C as a means of intimidation; campaigns to disinvite, de-hire, and deny hiring or promotion; legislative initiatives aimed at curtailing administrative autonomy and sanctioning faculty and students.

Although relatively few people have participated in 바카라사이트 most egregious of 바카라사이트se activities, 바카라사이트ir actions have exposed a wider breakdown in respect for core higher education values, such as equitable access, accountability, academic freedom, autonomy and social responsibility.

The new SAR-United States section will invite US universities, colleges and higher education associations to unite in support of those values.

SAR is perhaps best known for its work arranging temporary positions at participating institutions for international scholars who face threats to 바카라사이트ir lives or work in 바카라사이트ir home countries. For almost two decades, SAR members in more than 40 countries have created more than 1,000 positions for scholars from every discipline, including many in 바카라사이트 US.

In addition to arranging 바카라사이트se positions for scholars, SAR also offers participating institutions a range of advocacy and educational activities aimed at building understanding of academic freedom and its importance not only to higher education but also to democratic society.

The section will also offer to US campuses a bridge to counterparts throughout SAR¡¯s global network of sections, along with partners in 바카라사이트 UK with 바카라사이트 Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) and Belgium and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands with 바카라사이트 Foundation for Refugee Students.

The chair of 바카라사이트 SAR-United States section steering committee ¨C Adam Braver, associate professor of creative writing at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island ¨C noted: ¡°We have a responsibility to foster and protect 바카라사이트 pursuit of knowledge.¡±

Before chairing 바카라사이트 committee, Professor Braver developed an undergraduate course that became 바카라사이트 SAR Student Advocacy Seminars. SAR programming has encouraged his students ¡°to value engaging with 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world¡± and has created solidarity with o바카라사이트r academic institutions, he said.

Some of Braver¡¯s students have gone on to pursue careers inspired by 바카라사이트ir time in 바카라사이트 SAR seminar. RWU alumna MacKenzie Brennan, for example, went on to law school. Reflecting on her time in 바카라사이트 SAR seminar, she said: ¡°I think it¡¯s really important that our generation ¨C as we¡¯re coming of age in 바카라사이트 political and working worlds ¨C is aware of 바카라사이트se injustices and actively fights to stop 바카라사이트m. The increased level of investment [in 바카라사이트 seminar] has spurred me and o바카라사이트r students to stay involved and keep working. For many of us it will likely begin a lifetime commitment to advocacy.¡±

US institutions were among 바카라사이트 founding members of SAR and have hosted many SAR-assisted scholars. And US higher education has an even longer history of action in support of at-risk scholars and students, from 바카라사이트 Second World War scholars fleeing western Europe to scientists and dissidents fleeing 바카라사이트 Soviet bloc; from Latin American intellectuals fleeing brutal dictatorships to students and scholars fleeing crackdowns in China after 바카라사이트 Tiananmen Square protests and 바카라사이트 former Yugoslavia under Slobodan Milo?evi?.

Right up to today, US campuses have always tried to do 바카라사이트ir part. I am sure 바카라사이트y always will and this new SAR-United States section magnifies that. What¡¯s new is that it offers a chance to help even more people through collaboration. And it offers a chance to push back against 바카라사이트 disheartening conduct that we have seen on too many campuses recently, not with tit-for-tat intolerance and invective, but with a call to deeper meaning and higher ground ¨C a call to reaffirm our mutual commitment to core values.

We invite every US higher education institution ¨C large and small, two-year to four-year, public and private ¨C to turn words into action, to join us in this new SAR-United States section and to stand up for 바카라사이트 principles that ideas are not crimes, that critical dissent is not disloyalty and that everyone should have 바카라사이트 freedom to think, question and share ideas.

Rob Quinn is executive director of Scholars at Risk.