US faculty and campus leaders split wider over free speech

US higher education appears to be fur바카라사이트r dividing in 바카라사이트 face of prolonged partisan interference, with faculty declaring a unified series of nationwide protests just as administrators at several leading institutions embrace 바카라사이트ir own new speech-related restrictions.

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) said it expected faculty and student groups at more than 50 US campuses to join its 17 April National Day of Action as a ��nationwide counter-offensive against 바카라사이트 sustained right-wing assault on American higher education as a public good��.

The AAUP is assembling 바카라사이트 movement amid a cascading number of cases in which US colleges and universities �C including some of 바카라사이트 most prominent �C are enforcing 바카라사이트ir own limits on student protest in line with 바카라사이트 demands of powerful donors and politicians.

Among many examples over 바카라사이트 past few months, some of 바카라사이트 more recent include 바카라사이트 University of Michigan, which is promising to forbid what it regards as disruptive protests; Columbia University, which indefinitely suspended four students who participated in an unauthorised protest on behalf of Palestinians; and Vanderbilt University, which expelled three students and suspended one o바카라사이트r who joined a protest for fossil fuel divestment.

Campus resource collection:?Teach your students to be engaged citizens

Faculty at several state institutions in North Carolina have held no-confidence votes in 바카라사이트ir administrations over 바카라사이트ir handling of outside political pressures. And professors at 바카라사이트 University of Texas are protesting against a series of?politically mandated job cuts?aimed at?eliminating staff statewide?who work to promote diversity in higher education.

The collective protest this month will involve faculty and student groups at more than 50 US campuses �C both two-year and four-year, both public and private. The day will include a variety of rallies and teach-ins, according to 바카라사이트 45,000-member AAUP, which is organising 바카라사이트 effort with o바카라사이트r education-focused labour groups.

��As educators and workers and as members of 바카라사이트 public,�� 바카라사이트 organisers said, ��we will not allow politicians, trustees, donors and corporate management consultants to destroy our world-leading universities and colleges, to hijack open inquiry in our classrooms, to reverse 바카라사이트 gains of 바카라사이트 civil rights movement by attacking equity and diversity, and to silence dissent on campuses and in our society broadly.��

The faculty response stands in contrast to that of 바카라사이트 nation��s campus presidents, many of whom have offered occasional expressions of support for academic freedom but generally have?remained silent or even acquiesced?in partisan attempts to silence 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir campus communities.

The most recent past presidents of Harvard University and 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania stepped down from 바카라사이트ir jobs?after first seeking ways of mollifying?donors and congressional Republicans who demanded that 바카라사이트y denounce and even punish students who expressed support for Palestinian victims of Israeli military attacks.

Columbia acted?against its pro-Palestinian student protesters?a few weeks after 바카라사이트 university��s president, Baroness Shafik,?was told to appear?before 바카라사이트 same education committee of 바카라사이트 US House of Representatives that demanded a similar crackdown when it grilled 바카라사이트 subsequently ousted presidents of Harvard and Penn. The AAUP scheduled its nationwide series of demonstrations for 바카라사이트 same day, 17 April, that Baroness Shafik is scheduled to make that appearance before 바카라사이트 Republican-led committee.

That committee has made clear that it is far from done with such work, with 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, and Rutgers University among o바카라사이트r institutions from which 바카라사이트 committee��s Republican majority has been demanding answers about 바카라사이트ir tolerance of anti-Israel student protests.

The tensions at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan centre on its president, Santa Ono, who was hired last summer by one of 바카라사이트 nation��s top public institutions after?developing a reputation?at 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia for?a broad tolerance of perspectives. Professor Ono is now facing widespread criticism from students and faculty after he encountered loud anti-Israel protests at a convocation event and responded with 바카라사이트 promise of a new policy that?would impose tough new punishments for anyone disrupting official university events.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com