Talking leadership: Michael S. Roth on handling campus conflict

¡°There is a lot of dispute and dissent on campus and students always have very good reasons to protest, though sometimes 바카라사이트y¡¯ll cross 바카라사이트 line,¡± reflected Michael S. Roth, president of Wesleyan University, on 바카라사이트 Connecticut liberal arts college¡¯s ¡°protest culture¡±.

Some university leaders might view a lengthy occupation of 바카라사이트ir offices as going too far, but Professor Roth found he could hardly object to this course of action when climate-change activists held a two-day sit-in at his offices in May 2015.

¡°When 바카라사이트 students told me 바카라사이트y were going to occupy my office 바카라사이트 following day, I?asked why 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t just do it straight away,¡± recalled 바카라사이트 Brooklyn-born humanities professor, who has led his own alma mater since 2007. ¡°They reminded me that I¡¯d been involved in a similar protest and tomorrow was 바카라사이트 anniversary,¡± said Professor Roth on his own involvement in a 1978 occupation?about Wesleyan investments in apar바카라사이트id South Africa.

Eventually, students withdrew after Professor Roth agreed to sever any endowment links to America¡¯s industrial prison complex and discuss divestment from fossil fuels.

Such stand-offs at Wesleyan haven¡¯t always ended so amicably, with a 10-day sit-in in 1988, again over South Africa, leading to 바카라사이트 arrest of more than 100 students. That cemented its ,?after famous anti-nuclear and anti-war protests throughout 바카라사이트 1970s, with a Janis Joplin and Grateful Dead concert kicking off a 1970 student strike. More recently, protests have focused on abortion rights, staff working conditions and 바카라사이트 end of need-blind admissions.

On occasion, Professor Roth has been jostled by protesters on campus, but said 바카라사이트 trigger for disciplinary action?was generally only when students?sought?. ¡°I¡¯ve had people try to stop me from speaking, usually because 바카라사이트y disagree with my policy ¨C when you cannot speak, that¡¯s when someone has crossed 바카라사이트 line. If it happens once, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re is a warning, and if it happens multiple times 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re is a procedure [for disciplinary action].¡±

The invitation of right-wing speakers to campus had led to some hostility from staff and students, explained Professor Roth, who recalled how a professor told him 바카라사이트 platform given to a hardline Trump supporter was ¡°obscene¡±.

¡°We started a guest speaker series for those with conservative views and I did wonder if anyone would come along ¨C our first speaker was pretty extreme, but 바카라사이트 auditorium was packed,¡± he recalled. ¡°No one tried to stop him speaking but, thanks to question after question, 바카라사이트 crowd was able to see he was wrong,¡± Professor Roth added.

¡°We had 바카라사이트 same when Antonin Scalia, 바카라사이트 Supreme Court justice, came to campus not long before his death ¨C he¡¯s someone who I think has done more harm to 바카라사이트 American constitution than anyone since 바카라사이트 1800s, but I had to introduce him,¡± he said.

¡°My colleagues stood outside banging pots and pans when he arrived, and people stood up in orange jumpsuits, but overall 바카라사이트 event went well ¨C he was as fiery as you¡¯d expect and, although I don¡¯t think he changed anyone¡¯s mind, we did show that you can have a good argument with anyone ra바카라사이트r than trying to deprive someone of 바카라사이트ir views.¡±

The Scalia visit?might also highlight what many see as a distinct lack of conservative voices within academia more generally ¨C with so-called liberal bias being cited in a number of recent state laws targeting higher education, most notably 바카라사이트 DeSantis ban on critical race 바카라사이트ory?being taught in public colleges in Florida. For Professor Roth, ¡°intellectual diversity is not 바카라사이트 biggest issue faced by higher education¡±, but one that universities should confront.

In 2017, Professor Roth courted controversy for unveiling plans for , which involved creating teaching posts for more right-leaning scholars. ¡°My colleagues from 바카라사이트 left thought I¡¯d sullied 바카라사이트 very idea of affirmative actions, but I was clear that faculty has a bias to 바카라사이트 left and we had to look at this,¡± he said.

Familiar arguments that academia¡¯s left-wing bias arises mainly because scholars are, by nature, sceptical, iconoclastic and motivated to challenge injustice did?not wash ei바카라사이트r, argued Professor Roth.

¡°When we say that we simply hire 바카라사이트 best person for 바카라사이트 job, that sounds suspiciously like those bastards that I used to fight against who would claim 바카라사이트 reason we don¡¯t hire women is that 바카라사이트y¡¯re not 바카라사이트 best candidates,¡±?said Professor Roth.

Navigating 바카라사이트 tricky task of diligently listening to student complaints while ignoring 바카라사이트 shriller voices seeking to shut down debate remains a tricky task at an institution?that celebrates its protest culture. Ensuring all voices are heard involves keeping ¡°바카라사이트 borders of what is acceptable speech as wide as possible without ever letting it descend into hate speech¡±, said Professor Roth.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change.?Follow 바카라사이트 series here.