Daniel Bitran’s Post

After more than 100 years as the “primary defender of academic freedom” in American higher education, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has abandoned its long-held principles and endorsed the controversial tactic of academic boycotts. An academic boycott is when an academic institution or organization refuses to engage with certain colleges or universities in protest over their institutional or governmental policies. Previously described as “utterly wrongheaded” and “repugnant to our principles,” the AAUP opposed this tactic because it cuts off and isolates scholars in countries where the open and free exchange of ideas and intellectual discourse is most needed. Now, in a complete about-face, the AAUP defends academic boycotts as a legitimate response when challenging governmental or institutional policies. While the AAUP claims that its decision is not intended to target Israel, make no mistake, its policy change is clearly motivated by an anti-Israel ideology and, to some, smacks of antisemitism. #highereducation #academicfreedom #campusprotests #academicboycotts #freeinquiry #freeexpression #AAUP

BREAKING: Can academic boycotts co-exist with academic freedom? The American Association of University Professors recently revised their position to say yes, but we believe otherwise. From our President, John Tomasi: "The AAUP’s decision to now support academic boycotts is an abandonment of the ideal of universities as knowledge-generating institutions where inquiry thrives. While individual professors maintain the right to decide for themselves which scholarly opportunities they will personally pursue, boycotts of academics and students in a particular location is a threat to open inquiry and the purpose of our universities. HxA remains deeply skeptical that academic boycotts can be maintained without compromising academic freedom as AAUP contends." Stay tuned for more on this issue from our President. In the meantime, check out the AAUP's statement for yourself and share your thoughts with us: https://lnkd.in/enBmYMA9

🚨STATEMENT: academic boycotts are contrary to the tradition of academic scholarship. From our President, John Tomasi: "[...] in the name of open inquiry, we stand firmly against academic boycotts. At HxA we particularly object to the AAUP's endorsement of boycotts, because we see that endorsement as something close to a rejection of the professional ideal of scholarship itself, an ideal the AAUP not only long defended, but originally helped define. [...] the AAUP’s recent statement is an assertion that political activism is more important than the communal human search for knowledge." Read the full statement for how the AAUP has reversed their commitment to academic freedom: https://lnkd.in/gqVvYnjm 🧠 What are your thoughts on how this recent AAUP position could impact academic freedom?

👏 1,000+ faculty members from around the world have already signed the Open Letter, which denounces the antisemitic and anti-Zionist trends that are undermining academic principles. Faculty, we call upon YOU to stand… ➡️ United for Jewish students, who should be able to walk their campuses without fear. ➡️ United for Israeli academics, many of whom have been ostracized and denied professional opportunities. ➡️ United for Israel, which is facing academic boycotts that are impacting its entire higher education system. ➡️ United for academic principles, which stand for higher learning, not discrimination.

Why did the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) that has been setting the professional standards for higher education since 1915 and is widely acknowledged as the protector and defender of academic freedom in the American academy twist itself into pretzel-like contortions, claiming that what it once considered “inimical” to academic freedom is now perfectly acceptable, and can even contribute to protecting academic freedom? In a word: politics. #Studentsafetynotpolitical #Antisemitsm #Returntolearning #saveouruniversities  https://lnkd.in/d2m5EUeT

Civil and informed dialogue, respectful debate, and deep listening is needed more than ever on postsecondary campuses, everywhere. I found this article insightful -- sharing here in case it is helpful for others as well: https://lnkd.in/gb2XcDQc

Student protests, which originally began at Columbia University, keep spreading across the United States and beyond. The response from authorities and university administration is increasingly more violent and hostile, resulting in numerous human rights violations. The recent attacks on the right to protest are not happening in isolation. They are a culmination of attacks on violation of freedom of expression and academic freedom on university campuses over the last several years. In this piece, we at ARTICLE 19 look more closely at what is going on, how the issue got exploited by politicians and why many responses violate international human rights standards. We condemn the use of force against protesters and urge the authorities and university administrations to respect human rights. They must also actively listen to concerns raised by students and the academic community and to address them in a meaningful way. Academia and university campuses must remain vibrant spaces for learning, discussion, protest, and dissent. #freespeech #freedomofexpression #righttoprotest #academicfreedom #humanrights #USA #students #studentprotests #academia #solidarity https://lnkd.in/gT4e2wjK

“What matters are fundamental principles.” Yes. Reasonable people can agree on some (maybe most) of the principles outlined here, but perhaps not all. And it seems that many of the principles in support of student demonstrators could actually be turned back on some of what has transpired, with a slightly more critical and less rationalizing stance, to make a case for higher expectations for responsible engagement. Reasonable people could acknowledge that this call to action may be partially accurate, but perhaps somewhat incomplete. People in university leadership positions should also be: - properly labeling “peaceful” demonstrations from those that are not; and in this situation, as in many that have come before it, there have been some that have not been peaceful, despite claims to the contrary. - calling out disruptive, violent and destructive conduct when it occurs, and there has been enough of this to be concerned. - helping members of a community, many of whom tend to conflate and expand certain principles, to understand the difference between academic freedom and free expression, civil disobedience and free speech, and the fact that none of these are absolute, they all have reasonable limitations and consequences can be attached to some of the actual conduct involved. - ensuring that demonstrators understand and comply with the reasonable rules of engagement on a given campus, inc reasonable time, place and manner parameters. - ensuring that demonstrators do not occupy spaces that they have no right to occupy, and do not disrupt and hijack the university from other faculty, staff and students who have a right to peaceful enjoyment and to go about their business without undue interference or harassment.  - taking steps to ensure that the rights of all members of a given community are consistently protected and supported. - ensuring that members of the community, be they faculty, staff or students, are held consistently and reasonably accountable for conduct that does not comply with campus policies and expectations. After all, community standards (policies, and laws) exist in every community, for a reason, and reasonable compliance is something that should be expected from all community members. Learning this at an appropriate age is actually part of the development process, for college kids, and part of the HR process for the adults in the room that didn’t learn this in college. - helping members of the community to understand that the end doesn’t justify the means, however noble one might believe the cause is, and that bad conduct has consequences, regardless of one’s personal characteristics; activists don’t necessarily get to have their own definition of social justice and truth, from which impunity springs. This situation is complicated and doesn’t lend itself to easy one off platitudes.  https://lnkd.in/eVj9qZdD

An important piece on the true meaning of academic "safe space" and the right to protest peacefully. The whole article is worth a read but here is one of my favourite excerpts: "Yet we must also be vigilant about the academic culture: when we say that universities must be a “safe space”, this is not only true in terms of physical and emotional integrity (which are paramount) but also in terms of intellectual integrity: a university is a space in which one can be, and should be, safely challenged, rather than confirmed in their convictions."

AYA endorses the Young Academy response to the UNL directive on student protests at universities! In May 2024, Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) and Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (VH) published a directive on protests at research universities and universities of applied sciences. This directive outlines a set of basic principles that apply for protests at universities across the Netherlands. The Young Academy expressed its concern regarding this directive. While it states that universities “wholeheartedly support” the right to demonstrate, the directive risks having a chilling effect on protesters. Thereby it contradicts the spirit of universities, which are places of public reason and have a fundamental responsibility to safeguard the freedoms of expression, association, assembly, and demonstration as much as possible. UNL could revise its directive and encourage university boards to adopt a framework that upholds the rights of protestors while fostering an environment of open, pluralistic dialogue. Such a framework should: - Reaffirm universities’ responsibility to protect the right to protest; - Recognise universities as places of public reason and pluralistic dialogue; - Adopt a proactive approach to facilitating dialogue within the university community on complex and contentious issues.