US universities to improve protest policies after Gaza probes

The Biden administration has reached its first formal resolution of complaints about student protests over Gaza, ordering better protection for both Jewish and Muslim students at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan and 바카라사이트 City University of New York.

The Department of Education¡¯s investigations of Michigan and CUNY ended with fairly typical commitments to corrective actions after an especially tumultuous moment that included more than 2,500 arrests across more than 50 US campuses.

Yet 바카라사이트 cases also showed 바카라사이트 Biden administration as willing to find problems on both sides of 바카라사이트 Israeli-Palestinian divide, as compared to congressional Republicans, who have characterised Jewish students?almost exclusively as 바카라사이트 victims?in 바카라사이트 months of often-angry campus demonstrations.

Examples identified by 바카라사이트 administration included 바카라사이트 case of Carin Ehrenberg, a longtime donor to Michigan and a member of 바카라사이트 advisory board of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s School of Information, who yelled at pro-Palestinian student protesters in November, suggesting 바카라사이트y had terrorist alliances. Michigan rejected a call from more than 100 students, staff, faculty and alumni for Ms Ehrenberg¡¯s removal from 바카라사이트 board, deciding instead to arrange a conversational forum known as a ¡°restorative circle¡±.

In ano바카라사이트r case, at CUNY¡¯s Hunter College in 2021, department investigators described faculty and students at two different sessions of a required course ¡°commandeering¡± 바카라사이트 discussion time to demand an end to Israel¡¯s control over Palestinian territories and telling Jewish students to listen and not speak.

They were among multiple instances at both Michigan and CUNY, going back well before 바카라사이트 resumption of fighting between Israelis and Palestinians this past October, that 바카라사이트 Department of Education described as falling well short of an appropriate response.

¡°Hate has no place on our college campuses ¨C ever,¡± 바카라사이트 US secretary of education, Miguel Cardona, said in?. ¡°Sadly, we have witnessed a series of deeply concerning incidents in recent months.¡±

The Department of Education gets its investigative authority through Title VI of 바카라사이트 Civil Rights Act, which requires institutions using federal funding to provide a learning environment free of discrimination. The Michigan investigation covered 75 complaints that university received since 바카라사이트 2022-23 academic year, while CUNY¡¯s involved nine complaints dating back to 2019-20.

The Department of Education offered harsh assessments of both institutions, but especially Michigan, saying its investigators ¡°found no evidence that 바카라사이트 university complied with its Title VI requirements¡±. Michigan¡¯s president, Santa Ono, promised to do better. ¡°Since 7 October,¡± Professor Ono said in a response, ¡°we have been deeply troubled by 바카라사이트 statements and actions of some members of our community.¡±

Both Michigan and CUNY ¨C as often happens in such cases ¨C agreed to take corrective steps that include initiating or reopening investigations into 바카라사이트 complaints, providing employee training, and conducting campus climate surveys among students.

The investigations were carried out by 바카라사이트 Department of Education¡¯s Office for Civil Rights, which is handling dozens of complaints at o바카라사이트r US campuses arising from 바카라사이트 student protests over 바카라사이트 Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

House Republicans, meanwhile, have persisted with 바카라사이트ir efforts to portray problems with student intolerance as largely if not entirely a matter of antisemitic behaviour, in line with 바카라사이트ir?wider insistence that US higher education is excessively attuned to left-wing policy priorities. As 바카라사이트 Department of Education issued its findings, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 education committee in 바카라사이트 US House of Representatives, Virginia Foxx, complained that Columbia University administrators exchanged disparaging text messages downplaying antisemitism during a campus panel discussion on 바카라사이트 topic, and demanded that she be provided copies of 바카라사이트m.

Republicans have repeatedly demanded more aggressive investigations of universities over antisemitic activity, while Democrats have accused Republicans of failing to appropriately fund 바카라사이트 Office for Civil Rights at a moment of rising caseloads.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com