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<span>Will Academic Freedom and Campus Free Speech Survive?</span>
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss version="2.0" xml:base="https://www.insidehighered.com/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"> <channel> <title></title> <link>https://www.insidehighered.com/</link> <description></description> <language>en</language> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 03:00:00 -0400</pubDate> <item> <title>Will Academic Freedom and Campus Free Speech Survive?</title> <link>https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/academic-freedom/2024/05/03/will-academic-freedom-and-campus-free-speech</link> <description><span>Will Academic Freedom and Campus Free Speech Survive?</span> <span><span>Ryan Quinn</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-03T03:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, May 3, 2024 - 03:00 AM">Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:00 AM</time></span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Forces ranging from campus police, to state troopers, to national lawmakers are targeting faculty and student expression—particularly expression supporting Palestinians.</p> <p>This was the scene two weeks ago: Republican U.S. House of Representatives members condemned three pro-Palestinian Columbia University faculty members during a congressional hearing, the latest in their series interrogating elite university leaders over campus antisemitism. Columbia’s president, instead of vociferously defending her professors, agreed with some of the politicians’ criticisms and said <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/academic-freedom/2024/04/19/columbia-president-accused-throwing-profs-under-bus">investigations were underway</a>.</p> <p>The morning of that hearing, another scene was unfolding as pro-Palestinian students established an encampment on Columbia’s campus. The day after that hearing, Minouche Shafik, the Columbia president, called in the New York Police Department to clear it. More than 100 students were arrested.</p> <section class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true" x-data="{ open: false }" :class="{ 'is-open': open }"> <button class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular__button" type="button" @click="open = !open" x-cloak> <span>Most Popular Stories</span> <svg class="transform transition" :class="{ 'rotate-180': open }" width="11" height="8" viewBox="0 0 11 8" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M10.6234 6.00872L5.50338 0.710938L0.383382 6.00872C0.24429 6.15311 0.168257 6.34685 0.172007 6.5473C0.175758 6.74776 0.258986 6.93851 0.403382 7.0776C0.547777 7.21669 0.741513 7.29273 0.941968 7.28898C1.14242 7.28523 1.33318 7.202 1.47227 7.0576L5.50338 2.88427L9.53894 7.0576C9.67803 7.202 9.86878 7.28523 10.0692 7.28898C10.2697 7.29273 10.4634 7.21669 10.6078 7.0776C10.7522 6.93851 10.8354 6.74776 10.8392 6.5473C10.843 6.34685 10.7669 6.15311 10.6278 6.00872H10.6234Z" fill="white"/> </svg> </button> <div class="h4 wp-block-most-popular__title"><span>Most Popular</span></div> <div class="wp-block-most-popular__container most-popular-wrapper"> </div></section> <p>Similar scenarios have since played out on campus after campus: Riot-gear clad police officers break up pro-Palestinian student protest encampments, arresting hundreds of students and even <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/academic-freedom/2024/04/30/police-clear-encampments-professors-end-zip-tied">some faculty members</a>. At Emory University, in Atlanta, a campus police officer pushed an economics professor to the ground and zip-tied her.</p> <p>Amid this continuing spectacle, the Democratic president said Thursday that “we are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent,” but “neither are we a lawless country. We are a civil society, and order must prevail.”</p> <p>President Biden’s education secretary has said “<a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/2024/05/01/senate-republicans-question-cardona-campus-protests-fafsa">What’s happening on our campuses is abhorrent</a>.” Now, some members of the president’s party have joined House Republicans in pushing the U.S. Education Department to <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/05/02/house-passes-new-bill-codify-antisemitism-definition?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=98deb9e2bf-DNU_2021_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-98deb9e2bf-237731873&mc_cid=98deb9e2bf&mc_eid=f9d91f3dac">broadly define antisemitism</a> when investigating universities over such allegations. And House Republicans have summoned the leaders of three more universities to testify <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2024/05/01/house-republicans-expand-investigations-campus">later this month</a>.</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-2" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>Many faculty members have raised alarm over these events, saying they threaten two often-overlapping concepts: academic freedom and free speech. After Columbia’s president suggested to House Republicans that faculty members may face discipline for their speech—despite the fact that faculty committees’ recommendations on their colleagues are traditionally first sought before imposing punishment—concerns began to multiply about politicians, university donors and board members limiting what professors wish to teach on campus, research in their careers and speak about in public.</p> <p>Atop that, professors have decried the curtailment of student protest and what they call efforts to silence specifically the pro-Palestinian speech and scholarship of both scholars and students.</p> <p>The American Association of University Professors (AAUP)—which produced the foundational 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, alongside the American Association of Colleges and Universities—has simultaneously defended academic freedom and free speech.</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-bottom" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_bottom"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_bottom'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>“When the Speaker of the House of Representatives equates protesters at Columbia University with terrorists, he irresponsibly incites violence,” the AAUP said in a statement this week. “When politicians demand the resignation of university presidents, they threaten the autonomy of private universities.”</p> <p>The AAUP further condemned the “militaristic response to student activism,” criticized university administrators who “limit when, where and how free speech may be exercised” and said “too many cowardly university leaders are responding to largely peaceful, outdoor protests by inviting law enforcement in riot gear to campus.”</p> <p>The AAUP expressed alarm “at how quickly our institutional leaders have capitulated” to external pressure. “In just a few months, too many university leaders have abandoned long-standing principles of academic freedom and shared governance that are meant to protect colleges from such outside influence,” it said. “Policies guaranteeing academic freedom and free speech mean nothing if they are not upheld in times of stress.”</p> <div class="block block-ihe-editor-picks"> <div> <h4 class="heading-line2"> <span>Editors’ Picks</span> </h4> <ul class="editor-picks"> <li> <a href="/news/admissions/traditional-age/2024/05/02/fafsa-delays-put-damper-college-signing-day">College Indecision Day</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news/global/international-students-us/2024/05/02/canada-and-australia-lose-allure-international">Canada and Australia Lose Allure for International Students</a> </li> <li> <a href="/opinion/views/2024/05/02/israeli-grad-students-choice-leave-academe-opinion">No Country for Israeli Academics</a> </li> </ul></div> </div> <p>Not all faculty members share this level of concern. “I don’t see a systemic assault on academic freedoms,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a law professor there. (Last month, in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/12/us/uc-berkeley-palestinian-protest-free-speech.html" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/12/us/uc-berkeley-palestinian-protest-free-speech.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">widely reported event</a>, Chemerinsky had a pro-Palestinian student protester <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/12/us/uc-berkeley-palestinian-protest-free-speech.html" target="_blank">interrupt a</a><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/04/campus-protest-first-amendment-berkeley/678186/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> </a><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/12/us/uc-berkeley-palestinian-protest-free-speech.html" target="_blank">dinner for students at his home</a>.)</p> <p>Chemerinsky said the campus encampments raise free-speech issues more than academic freedom worries. Encampments can violate “time, place and manner restrictions” on free speech, depending on campus policies and the nature of the encampment. Even if the right to protest is considered an academic freedom issue, he said, academic freedom doesn’t grant a right to violate those restrictions. “I think that there have been enormously difficult issues with regard to how to balance free speech and other values, such as the need for the campus to function,” he said.</p> <p>Professors and students have a right to express themselves on campuses, he said, but universities have restricted when and how they can do so, with limitations on things like amplified sound outside classrooms. But when it comes to punishing or censoring particular ideas, Chemerinsky said, "that to me is inconsistent with the First Amendment and academic freedom.”</p> <p>Keith Whittington, founding chair of the Academic Freedom Alliance and a Princeton University politics professor, agreed that faculty members who take part in protests “are potentially crossing a line when they want to participate in protecting encampments on campus” that violate university rules, and they’re “just as subject to discipline for that kind of behavior as students.”</p> <p>But Whittington said he’s also seen a “hasty willingness to call in law enforcement to address some of these protests.” That may be necessary, he said, when there are violations of university rules and laws or unsafe conditions, but “calling in law enforcement really ought to be a last resort.”</p> <p>Robert Cohen, a professor of history and social studies education at New York University, said that if faculty members or aspiring scholars see student activism being suppressed on an issue like the Israel-Hamas war, they may be less inclined to produce scholarship on it or teach about it.</p> <p>Zach Greenberg, a First Amendment attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Free Expression, which has historically focused on campuses, said “it’s always difficult to defend academic freedom in times of intense controversy and debate in our society.”</p> <p>“It really only matters when it’s difficult or unpopular to do so,” he said.</p> <h2>A Time of Stress</h2> <p>Jennifer Ruth, an editorial board member for AAUP’s <em>Academe</em> magazine and a <a href="https://www.pdx.edu/profile/jennifer-ruth">co-author of three books</a> on academic freedom, said free speech and academic freedom are “both under attack simultaneously,” and are, to some extent, being conflated. But she didn’t dwell on that conflation.</p> <p>“Differentiating them right now is not as important as fighting the McCarthyism and the Palestine exception to free speech,” said Ruth, referencing the long-time contention that pro-Palestinian speech is more restricted than other types of expression. “It’s all kind of a big storm that’s pulling into it violations of both academic freedom and free speech.”</p> <p>Those interviewed by <em>Inside Higher Ed</em> had somewhat differing definitions of what academic freedom should protect. The AAUP’s own 1940 statement on academic freedom contains qualifications in its definition. It says faculty members “are entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of their other academic duties,” and are also “entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject.”</p> <p>The statement then includes a qualified extension of academic freedom protections to when faculty members “speak or write as citizens.” </p> <p>On the other hand, free speech is the concept that everyone, not just faculty members, has the right to speak, whether that speech is well-reasoned or not, inoffensive or offensive. The First Amendment protects free speech at public institutions, but not private ones.</p> <p>Cohen said “it’s hard always to distinguish” between academic freedom and free speech. But he said he sees “a very severe threat” to both. He said he’s never heard of protest encampments being evicted, and people being arrested—and all so quickly—in cases where the encampments weren’t disrupting university operations.</p> <p>“You’re basically censoring an unpopular movement,” Cohen said.</p> <p>In times of war, “academic freedom is always harder to defend,” Cohen said. “Academic freedom applied to American foreign policy means that you’re free to question the reigning orthodoxies” along with government policy, he said.</p> <p>Though Ruth traces a right-wing attack on higher education back decades, she said the “storm” began four years ago, when conservatives began defining critical race theory “in ways that can whip up public fear and condemnation.” As some “attacks” on diversity, equity and inclusion, antiracism and LGBTQ+ matters began to lose their purchase on the public imagination, she said, conservatives began painting “protests about the genocide in Gaza” as an example of higher education and faculty members failing students. (Pro-Israeli faculty members have, however, been among those criticizing the protests as antisemitic.)</p> <p>Ruth said the pro-Palestinian student protesters are trying to be a “moral voice,” and she called their depiction as antisemites “a really Orwellian, a really upside-down situation." She sees this as a “proto-fascist moment” in which people are being pressured to agree that the protests are antisemitic.</p> <p>“The lack of independence of thought and speech affects both academic freedom and free speech,” Ruth said. And it’s not just faculty members and students who are affected, she said. “The chilling of speech goes all the way up to the presidents, and now we’re all kinds of puppets of boards that we’re trying to appease, and politicians that we’re trying to appease,” she said.</p> <p>It’s true that academic freedom may have helped stir the protests, Ruth said—but that’s no reason to threaten it. Though she dismisses conservative arguments that the left has “hijacked” universities, she thinks classroom teaching may play a role.</p> <p>“It’s a chicken-and-egg right?” Ruth said. “Having a free university where some of this history can kind of make it into discourse, make it into classrooms, is part and parcel of the free speech of students. They hopefully inform one another.”</p> <p>Whittington noted there’s “informal pressure” not just from politicians, but from donors, on what speech is tolerated, and he thinks the Columbia president’s testimony reflected a lesson some other officials have begun to take to heart. Whittington said he was “very disappointed” that Shafik didn’t reaffirm “robust,” content-neutral commitments to free speech.</p> <p>“She seemed very willing to categorize a set of controversial political views as being beyond the bounds of what will be protected at Columbia, and I think that some other universities are taking the position that that’s the safer course of action in the current political environment as well,” Whittington said.</p> <p>Hans-Joerg Tiede, senior program officer in the AAUP’s Department of Research and Public Policy, said that conservative critics who say universities have been captured by the left “simply don’t like the conclusions that are being drawn,” about multiple issues, “in spite of the fact that they are based on evidence.” He said, “it’s no wonder that they’re also the ones who want to talk about alternative facts or elections being stolen without evidence—the value of evidence is being diminished.” And, he said, “that’s all part and parcel of the same intent to undermine expertise and, ultimately, democracy.”</p> <p>“Academic freedom, in itself, isn’t a political question, it’s simply a necessity if you want to have a functioning higher education system,” Tiede said. “You need to have academic freedom or otherwise you just have universities in name only, like you do in dictatorships. They aren’t true universities if there can’t be free inquiry.”</p> <h2>Self-Regulation</h2> <p>The purpose of academic freedom, Tiede said, is to allow “free inquiry in teaching and research and in the governance of colleges and universities.” He said that “operating a university requires expertise about the subject matter,” which only faculty members have. When it comes to disciplining professors who step over a line, Tiede doesn’t claim “the faculty should have the final say,” but that it should be actively involved. If a board wants to overturn the faculty’s recommendation, he said, it should demonstrate its taken that recommendation into account.</p> <p>Ruth, the <em>Academe </em>editorial board member, said free speech allows for expressing any idea, but citizens “also need to have competent information and verifiable knowledge, the people have to have some resources to inform themselves, and that’s where academic freedom is necessary for a democracy because it creates competence.” She said “that’s why the autonomy of these [higher education] institutions is so important.”</p> <p>Universities didn’t always have academic freedom, noted Geoffrey Stone, the University of Chicago law professor who led the committee that created the now-widely adopted Chicago principles on free expression. “They used to define themselves as organizations whose function it was to teach accepted wisdom and to do scholarship to the extent that scholarship largely reaffirmed what was the general view,” Stone said.</p> <p>That began to change with Darwinism, Stone said, and, over time, universities’ understanding of academic freedom has evolved to include the idea “that there are not fixed ideas that are necessarily right or wrong.” For most universities, he said, the core values include “being able to pursue—with an open mind, without constraint—truth and wisdom, and not to have the university tell you what truth and wisdom are.” Universities, he said, are “designed to challenge and to explore and to question what was thought to be accepted wisdom.”</p> <p>Rana Jaleel, chair of AAUP’s Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, said academic freedom is “about people who work in fields and who do intellectual labor being able to do that intellectual labor and being able to say what they find without undue restriction” from any “special interest.”</p> <p>“Academic freedom rests on the idea that not all ideas are equal; there are true ideas and false ideas, so it tries to push toward a consensus,” Jaleel said, but without limiting or predetermining the scope of research. Jaleel, an associate professor of gender, sexuality and women’s studies and Asian American studies at the University of California, Davis, said “I think the best way to think about it is it’s the right of a profession to determine for itself what is true and what is not.”</p> <p>Conservative critics, however, aren’t happy with institutions’ self-regulation. Congressional Republicans are calling for intervention from non–faculty members—top leaders of universities, or people outside of universities—and are trying to intervene themselves to stop what they consider to be antisemitism on college campuses. In some statehouses, Republicans have passed anti-DEI legislation that could go beyond banning DEI offices and affect what’s taught in classrooms.</p> <p>Jaleel said the string of criticisms of higher education, including legislation in Florida and elsewhere, has led to a moment when entire academic disciplines are under attack, and people are facing “charges of discrimination for critiques of state war-making.”</p> <p>“The donors and the political pressure that are making demands on what can happen at the university, that’s a real problem for having anything like an open exchange of ideas or an educational environment where people can explore all sorts of ideas—even ideas that other people don’t like,” Jaleel said.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-ad-keywords field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Ad / Content Keywords</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/113" 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</div> <div class="field field--name-field-authors field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Byline(s)</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/author/ryan-quinn" hreflang="en">Ryan Quinn</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_650x650/public/2024-05/GettyImages-2151136095_CROP.jpg?itok=a9FP2kQl" width="650" height="433" alt="A photograph of an officer in riot gear arresting a protester in the pro-Palestinian campus encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles.." /> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A California Highway Patrol officer arrests a protester Thursday while clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles, campus.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-source field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Mario Tama/Getty Images</p></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-lead field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Summary / Sub Headline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Faculty and free expression groups are sounding alarms about threatened limitations and crackdowns on professors’ speech and student protests.</p></div> </div></description> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Ryan Quinn</dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">149261 at https://www.insidehighered.com</guid> </item><item> <title>What the ‘Antisemitism Awareness’ Bill Could Mean for Higher Ed</title> <link>https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2024/05/03/what-antisemitism-awareness-bill-means-higher-ed</link> <description><span>What the ‘Antisemitism Awareness’ Bill Could Mean for Higher Ed</span> <span><span>Katherine Knott</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-03T03:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, May 3, 2024 - 03:00 AM">Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:00 AM</time></span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Debates over what precisely constitutes antisemitism <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/01/23/ut-dallas-removes-spirit-rocks-over-contentious-messages" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/01/23/ut-dallas-removes-spirit-rocks-over-contentious-messages">have</a> <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/diversity-equity/2023/10/26/river-sea-slogan-inflames-conference" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/diversity-equity/2023/10/26/river-sea-slogan-inflames-conference">ramped up</a> since the <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2023/10/13/tension-over-israel-hamas-war-grows-college-campuses" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2023/10/13/tension-over-israel-hamas-war-grows-college-campuses">start</a> of the Israel-Hamas war in early October, as colleges nationwide <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/executive-leadership/2024/04/29/presidents-grapple-how-respond-student-protesters" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/executive-leadership/2024/04/29/presidents-grapple-how-respond-student-protesters">have grappled</a> with growing unrest among students and faculty. Now Congress is adding its voice to the conversation.</p> <p>The House <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/05/02/house-passes-new-bill-codify-antisemitism-definition" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/05/02/house-passes-new-bill-codify-antisemitism-definition">voted</a> 320 to 91 Wednesday to codify a broad definition of antisemitism into federal civil rights law—one that some in higher education worry could have a chilling effect on free speech on campus. The vote was bipartisan, as was the opposition: 133 Democrats joined 187 Republicans to vote yes. Supportive lawmakers, concerned about the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/04/24/students-set-encampments-coast-coast" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/04/24/students-set-encampments-coast-coast" target="_blank">wave of campus protests</a> and allegations of antisemitic incidents and chants, said the legislation was necessary to protect Jewish students.</p> <p>“Congress should not only establish a firm commitment to the basic definition of antisemitism, but it ought to speak with clarity: this is wrong,” Representative Marc Molinaro, a New York Republican, said of the campus protests and rising antisemitism. “Perhaps if we had said that decades ago, we wouldn’t see the escalation that we’re seeing today. Perhaps if college presidents simply accepted responsibility for the safety and security of their Jewish students, we wouldn’t see the violence we have today.”</p> <section class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true" x-data="{ open: false }" :class="{ 'is-open': open }"> <button class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular__button" type="button" @click="open = !open" x-cloak> <span>Most Popular Stories</span> <svg class="transform transition" :class="{ 'rotate-180': open }" width="11" height="8" viewBox="0 0 11 8" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M10.6234 6.00872L5.50338 0.710938L0.383382 6.00872C0.24429 6.15311 0.168257 6.34685 0.172007 6.5473C0.175758 6.74776 0.258986 6.93851 0.403382 7.0776C0.547777 7.21669 0.741513 7.29273 0.941968 7.28898C1.14242 7.28523 1.33318 7.202 1.47227 7.0576L5.50338 2.88427L9.53894 7.0576C9.67803 7.202 9.86878 7.28523 10.0692 7.28898C10.2697 7.29273 10.4634 7.21669 10.6078 7.0776C10.7522 6.93851 10.8354 6.74776 10.8392 6.5473C10.843 6.34685 10.7669 6.15311 10.6278 6.00872H10.6234Z" fill="white"/> </svg> </button> <div class="h4 wp-block-most-popular__title"><span>Most Popular</span></div> <div class="wp-block-most-popular__container most-popular-wrapper"> </div></section> <p>Under the legislation, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) would have to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) <a href="https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/about-ihra-working-definition-antisemitism" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/about-ihra-working-definition-antisemitism" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">working definition</a> of antisemitism when enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race and national origin. OCR, which has opened 137 investigations into complaints alleging discrimination based on shared ancestry—which includes Jews, Muslims and members of other ethnic or religious groups—is already using the definition in its enforcement of Title VI, so the legislation likely won’t have an immediate impact on campuses.</p> <p>Critics say the definition conflates criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism, which could lead college administrators to <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/04/26/armed-crackdowns-student-protesters-evoke-vietnam-era" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/04/26/armed-crackdowns-student-protesters-evoke-vietnam-era">further crack down</a> on anti-Israel protests.</p> <p>The <a href="https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism" data-type="URL" data-id="https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IHRA definition</a> says in part that “antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.” As examples, it cites calls for the killing or harming of Jews in the name of radical ideology, making stereotypical allegations about Jews, denying the Holocaust, comparing Israeli policy to that of the Nazis, or holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel. Dozens of countries and a majority of states have adopted the definition.</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-1" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>Backers of the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://rules.house.gov/bill/118/hr-6090" data-type="URL" data-id="https://rules.house.gov/bill/118/hr-6090" target="_blank">Antisemitism Awareness Act</a>, including several leading Jewish organizations, say the legislation will provide more clarity for agencies tasked to enforce Title VI. The Council on American-Islamic Affairs has <a href="https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-house-adoption-of-misleading-antisemitism-awareness-act-urges-congress-to-address-all-forms-of-bigotry/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">condemned</a> the legislation, saying it ignores anti-Palestinian racism and conflates criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism.</p> <p>Others in higher education, along with First Amendment and civil rights groups, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.aclu.org/documents/aclu-urges-congress-to-oppose-anti-semitism-awareness-act" target="_blank">are concerned</a> that such a sweeping definition of antisemitism could chill free speech on campuses and affect academic freedom.</p> <p>“It undercuts the whole academic enterprise,” said Kenneth Stern, director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate and author of <em>The Conflict Over the Conflict: The Israel/Palestine Campus Debate. </em>Stern compared the legislation to efforts in Republican-led states to restrict teachings about race and gender. “This is doing the same thing about issues in Israel,” he said.</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-2" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration, but its prospects in the upper chamber are unclear. <em>Politico </em><a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/05/02/congress/senate-antisemitism-bill-college-protests-house-israel-gaza-00155718" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> Thursday that Senate leaders from both parties were gauging their members’ support for the bill. The White House has not yet weighed in on the legislation.</p> <h2>‘Overly Broad’ or ‘Game-Changing’?</h2> <p>Stern himself helped to write the IHRA definition. But he has opposed efforts to codify it into federal law for years.</p> <p>Originally, he said, the definition was aimed at improving data collection internationally about antisemitism and hate crimes. According to the IHRA’s website, it was meant to guide the organization’s work on combating antisemitism and to provide, at an international level, a starting point for discussion.</p> <p>Stern said that the Antisemitism Awareness Act distorts the intent of the definition and could lead colleges to suppress speech out of fears of legal liability.</p> <div class="block block-ihe-editor-picks"> <div> <h4 class="heading-line2"> <span>Editors’ Picks</span> </h4> <ul class="editor-picks"> <li> <a href="/news/admissions/traditional-age/2024/05/02/fafsa-delays-put-damper-college-signing-day">College Indecision Day</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news/global/international-students-us/2024/05/02/canada-and-australia-lose-allure-international">Canada and Australia Lose Allure for International Students</a> </li> <li> <a href="/opinion/views/2024/05/02/israeli-grad-students-choice-leave-academe-opinion">No Country for Israeli Academics</a> </li> </ul></div> </div> <p>“If you’re at a point where somebody’s saying something and you’re thinking somebody’s going to file a Title VI complaint or a lawsuit, and you haven’t condemned it or you haven’t tried to suppress it, you’re opening up the school for suits,” he said. “I’m more worried about the chilling effect of how this works.”</p> <p>Critics of the legislation say under the IHRA definition, colleges could violate Title VI by inviting Palestinian speakers to campus or funding a panel discussion about the Israel-Palestine conflict. The American Association of University Professors argued in a <a href="https://twitter.com/aaup/status/1785712062573785147?s=46" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a> Wednesday that the legislation creates “overly broad statutory restrictions” and that teachers and students might avoid “assigning reading materials or engaging in classroom discussions about controversial issues concerning the state of Israel or Zionism.”</p> <p>Kenneth Marcus, the founder of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law who led the OCR during the Trump administration, has worked for years to broaden the definition of what speech and conduct can be considered antisemitic and has filed numerous civil rights complaints alleging Title VI violations. He called the legislation a “game-changing response” to the increase in campus antisemitism.</p> <p>“The IHRA definition is the only definition that has been embraced as authoritative by dozens of countries and by governors or legislatures in a majority of states,” Marcus said. “This legislation will ensure that the United States remains aligned with best practices internationally.”</p> <p>The legislation will codify that Jewish students are protected under Title VI, Marcus said. Previously that interpretation has been part of informal guidance documents, along with the executive order.</p> <p>Although OCR has been using the IHRA definition since 2019, Marcus said few U.S. universities consistently apply the IHRA definition.</p> <p>“From conversations with numerous administrators, I can say that many university leaders are unaware that the IHRA definition is already woven into OCR’s current, active guidance. If this legislation is passed, it will remove all doubt.”</p> <p>The co-sponsors of the legislation insisted during the floor debate Wednesday that the bill protects free speech and allows for criticism of Israel.</p> <p>“I ensured that,” said Representative Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat and co-sponsor of the legislation. “It was critical to me. it doesn't allow calls for the destruction or elimination of the Jewish state. But, it certainly allows criticism of Israel.”</p> <p>Instead, Gottheimer said the legislation “condemns traditional hatred, and the ugly, modern antisemitism that we’re seeing on college campuses.”</p> <p>Stern said that while he doesn’t like calls for the destruction of Israel, that’s political speech, which should be allowed on campuses. “When you start defining what speech you aren’t going to allow, that’s inherently draconian,” he said.</p> <p>Stern and others argue that codifying the definition won’t actually address the root causes of antisemitism.</p> <p>“If you look at how antisemitism actually works, this will backfire,” he said. The growing vilification of immigrants, Muslims and other groups in the U.S., he said, primes the population to identify another group as a threat—constituting a “conveyor belt to antisemitism.”</p> <p>“I’m much more concerned about that than I am with an 18-year-old who may be saying ‘From the river to the sea’ and probably doesn’t know which river or which sea.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-headline field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">SEO Headline (Limit to 60 characters)</div> <div class="field__item">What the “Antisemitism Awareness” bill means for higher ed</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-primary-section field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Primary Section/Subsection</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/government/politics-elections" hreflang="en">Politics & Elections</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-authors field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Byline(s)</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/author/katherine-knott" hreflang="en">Katherine Knott</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_650x650/public/2024-05/GettyImages-1757650676.jpg?itok=MIyxxJE3" width="650" height="434" alt="A person holds a sign with words Stand with Gaza on it " /> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Critics of the Antisemitism Awareness Act say it could lead colleges to suppress speech that’s critical of Israel in order to comply with federal civil rights law.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-source field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Anadolu/Contributor/Getty Images</p></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-lead field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Summary / Sub Headline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>The House voted Wednesday to codify a broad definition of antisemitism into federal law. Supporters say it’s necessary to protect Jewish students. Critics worry that it could chill free speech on campus.</p></div> </div></description> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Katherine Knott</dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">149256 at https://www.insidehighered.com</guid> </item><item> <title>Tenure and Promotion Barriers Persist for Women, Faculty of Color </title> <link>https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/05/03/tenure-and-promotion-barriers-persist-women-faculty-color</link> <description><span>Tenure and Promotion Barriers Persist for Women, Faculty of Color </span> <span><span>kathryn.palmer…</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-03T03:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, May 3, 2024 - 03:00 AM">Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:00 AM</time></span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The number of women and people of color on the tenure track has increased over the past seven years, but they still aren’t being promoted at the same rate as white men.</p> <p>That’s a highlight from <a href="https://www.cupahr.org/surveys/research-briefs/representation-and-pay-equity-in-higher-ed-faculty-trends-april-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a new report</a> the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR), released Thursday.</p> <p>“Representation and Pay Equity in Higher Education Faculty: A Review and Call to Action,” analyzed changes in faculty representation and pay equity data across tenure status, rank, discipline and the total operating expenses of higher ed institutions between the 2016–17 academic year and the 2022–23 academic year.</p> <section class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true" x-data="{ open: false }" :class="{ 'is-open': open }"> <button class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular__button" type="button" @click="open = !open" x-cloak> <span>Most Popular Stories</span> <svg class="transform transition" :class="{ 'rotate-180': open }" width="11" height="8" viewBox="0 0 11 8" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M10.6234 6.00872L5.50338 0.710938L0.383382 6.00872C0.24429 6.15311 0.168257 6.34685 0.172007 6.5473C0.175758 6.74776 0.258986 6.93851 0.403382 7.0776C0.547777 7.21669 0.741513 7.29273 0.941968 7.28898C1.14242 7.28523 1.33318 7.202 1.47227 7.0576L5.50338 2.88427L9.53894 7.0576C9.67803 7.202 9.86878 7.28523 10.0692 7.28898C10.2697 7.29273 10.4634 7.21669 10.6078 7.0776C10.7522 6.93851 10.8354 6.74776 10.8392 6.5473C10.843 6.34685 10.7669 6.15311 10.6278 6.00872H10.6234Z" fill="white"/> </svg> </button> <div class="h4 wp-block-most-popular__title"><span>Most Popular</span></div> <div class="wp-block-most-popular__container most-popular-wrapper"> </div></section> <p>“The call for a faculty that better represents the student population isn’t always matched by action, highlighting the need for a deeper look at opportunities to enhance our efforts,” the report said, also noting that meaningful change is partly hampered by a dearth of up-to-date data on faculty pay disparities and demographics. </p> <p>As of last academic year, 26 percent of tenure track faculty were people of color, up from 21 percent during the 2016–17 academic year. Most of that growth, however, came from hiring more Asian and Hispanic or Latinx faculty, according to the study. For instance, in 2017, roughly 9.7 percent of full professors were Asian, which increased to 12.8 percent by 2023. In contrast, the percentage of Black full professors has only increased from 3.3 percent to 3.5nbsp;percent in the same timeframe.</p> <p>The percentage of women on the tenure track also increased by 7 percent over seven years, but was mostly driven by a 36 percent increase in women of color. While Asian and Hispanic women saw the greatest boost in representation (a 74 percent and 73 percent increase, respectively, at the professor rank) the number of white women on the tenure track decreased by 3 percent over the last seven years.</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-1" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>Despite these overall gains, the trend of women and people of color not being promoted to associate and full professors has persisted, according to the study. In 2022–23, 35 percent of assistant professors were people of color, and 53 percent were women. At the associate professor level, only 26 percent of faculty were people of color and only 47 percent are women. And at the highest rank of full professor, people of color represented 22 percent of faculty and women represented 36 percent.</p> <p>Women also made up the majority (58 percent) of non–tenure track faculty in 2023, a 2.5 percent increase since the 2016–17 academic year. Faculty of color in those positions increased 24 percent from 2016–17 to 2022–23, making up 22 percent of non–tenure track faculty.</p> <p>While <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/2024/04/11/full-time-faculty-raises-finally-beat-inflation-just-barely">a recent survey </a>by the American Association of University Professors showed that although faculty wages beat inflation this year for the first time since the pandemic, pay disparities for women and non–tenure track instructors continue. </p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-2" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>“Combined with the fact that these groups are less likely to be promoted to higher ranks in tenure-track positions, the result is that a substantial segment of faculty, primarily women and people of color, are employed in positions that pay lower salaries throughout their careers,” CUPA-HR said in the press release.</p> <div class="block block-ihe-editor-picks"> <div> <h4 class="heading-line2"> <span>Editors’ Picks</span> </h4> <ul class="editor-picks"> <li> <a href="/news/admissions/traditional-age/2024/05/02/fafsa-delays-put-damper-college-signing-day">College Indecision Day</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news/global/international-students-us/2024/05/02/canada-and-australia-lose-allure-international">Canada and Australia Lose Allure for International Students</a> </li> <li> <a href="/opinion/views/2024/05/02/israeli-grad-students-choice-leave-academe-opinion">No Country for Israeli Academics</a> </li> </ul></div> </div></div> <div class="field field--name-field-headline field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">SEO Headline (Limit to 60 characters)</div> <div class="field__item">Tenure and promotion barriers persist for women, faculty of color </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-primary-section field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Primary Section/Subsection</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/quick-takes" hreflang="en">Quick Takes</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-sections field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Secondary Sections/Subsections</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/faculty-issues/diversity-equity" hreflang="en">Diversity & Equity</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-authors field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Byline(s)</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/author/kathryn-palmer" hreflang="en">Kathryn Palmer</a></div> </div> </div></description> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>kathryn.palmer@insidehighered.com</dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">149251 at https://www.insidehighered.com</guid> </item><item> <title>Grad Speakers Join the Protest Fray</title> <link>https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/05/03/graduation-speakers-join-campus-protest-fray</link> <description><span>Grad Speakers Join the Protest Fray</span> <span><span>Johanna Alonso</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-03T03:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, May 3, 2024 - 03:00 AM">Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:00 AM</time></span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The 2024 graduation season is well underway, even as protesters continue to occupy lawns on campuses across the nation. But students aren’t the only ones pushing their institutions to divest from companies that support Israel’s war in Gaza; now, commencement speakers are getting in on the activism too.</p> <p>In her May 2 address to graduating students at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, Jodi-Ann Burey, a cancer survivor, speaker, writer, and host of the podcast Black Cancer, used her speech to criticize administrators for refusing to divest from Israel.</p> <p>“Leaders at this university have decided that divestment in solidarity with Ukraine is more moral and more urgent than divestment in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza,” said Burey, who received her master’s in public health from Michigan. </p> <section class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true" x-data="{ open: false }" :class="{ 'is-open': open }"> <button class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular__button" type="button" @click="open = !open" x-cloak> <span>Most Popular Stories</span> <svg class="transform transition" :class="{ 'rotate-180': open }" width="11" height="8" viewBox="0 0 11 8" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M10.6234 6.00872L5.50338 0.710938L0.383382 6.00872C0.24429 6.15311 0.168257 6.34685 0.172007 6.5473C0.175758 6.74776 0.258986 6.93851 0.403382 7.0776C0.547777 7.21669 0.741513 7.29273 0.941968 7.28898C1.14242 7.28523 1.33318 7.202 1.47227 7.0576L5.50338 2.88427L9.53894 7.0576C9.67803 7.202 9.86878 7.28523 10.0692 7.28898C10.2697 7.29273 10.4634 7.21669 10.6078 7.0776C10.7522 6.93851 10.8354 6.74776 10.8392 6.5473C10.843 6.34685 10.7669 6.15311 10.6278 6.00872H10.6234Z" fill="white"/> </svg> </button> <div class="h4 wp-block-most-popular__title"><span>Most Popular</span></div> <div class="wp-block-most-popular__container most-popular-wrapper"> </div></section> <p>The statement was followed by more than 15 seconds of cheers and applause.</p> <p>“We are witnessing the most well-documented genocide in human history on our cellphones,” she continued. “Every issue you came to [the School of Public Health] to dedicate your career towards—maternal health, infection disease prevention, noncommunicable illness, mental health, food security, health care systems, humanitarian aid—is at a point of crisis in Gaza.”</p> <p>She called on the students to remember that public health outcomes are intertwined with politics, and often unfairly connected to an individual’s status or birthplace.</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-1" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>Mohammed Abdi, who is graduating with his master of public health degree and is also president of the Muslim Students in Public Health student organization, wrote in an email to <em>Inside Higher Ed</em> that he was heartened by Burey’s words.</p> <p>“Her comments were a necessary response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, particularly at a graduation in a School of Public Health,” he wrote. “Hundreds of students graduating from our School are commencing their careers as public health professionals; a reminder that the primary drive in our careers should be to protect <em>all</em> human lives is timely and very appropriate.” </p> <p>In an email to <em>Inside Higher Ed,</em> a university spokesperson disputed the idea that the institution had made any divestments related to Russia’s war in Ukraine.</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-2" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>“The action related to Ukraine in 2022 was not a divestment. It was taken as a result of U.S. government sanctions on Russia. Most Western institutional investors, including the university, moved swiftly at the time to reduce their exposure to Russia and Russia-domiciled investments to comply with the law and to mitigate the impact on their portfolios,” wrote Colleen Mastony, assistant vice president for public affairs.</p> <p>Erin A. Hennessy, executive vice president of TVP Communications, said it is well within graduation speakers’ rights to criticize the university that invited them, as long as they do it civilly and respectfully—even though institutions would probably prefer they restrict such comments to their own platforms instead.</p> <p>“I would not be surprised if people felt empowered and supported to raise some important questions” during speeches this graduation season, she said.</p> <div class="block block-ihe-editor-picks"> <div> <h4 class="heading-line2"> <span>Editors’ Picks</span> </h4> <ul class="editor-picks"> <li> <a href="/news/admissions/traditional-age/2024/05/02/fafsa-delays-put-damper-college-signing-day">College Indecision Day</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news/global/international-students-us/2024/05/02/canada-and-australia-lose-allure-international">Canada and Australia Lose Allure for International Students</a> </li> <li> <a href="/opinion/views/2024/05/02/israeli-grad-students-choice-leave-academe-opinion">No Country for Israeli Academics</a> </li> </ul></div> </div> <p>Abdi argued that the School of Public Health’s graduation was, in fact, an ideal venue for Burey to speak out about the crisis in Gaza.</p> <p>“As a world-renowned school of public health with an explicit commitment to reducing disease and improving health, both locally and globally, mentioning the ongoing genocide in Gaza is consistent with our professional duties … [Burey’s] speech was a skillful call-in to public health professionals to do more, and to remind us that we are all here for each other,” he wrote.</p> <p>Elsewhere, speakers have pulled out of commencement gigs to protest universities’ treatment of pro-Palestinian student demonstrators. Two writers slated to speak to master’s and doctoral graduates at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education canceled over the weekend. In an <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://lithub.com/c-pam-zhang-and-safiya-noble-have-withdrawn-as-usc-commencement-speakers/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://lithub.com/c-pam-zhang-and-safiya-noble-have-withdrawn-as-usc-commencement-speakers/" target="_blank">open letter</a> to the university’s provost, president and board of trustees, C Pam Zhang, author of the novel <em>How Much of These Hills Is Gold</em>, and Safiya U. Noble, a University of California, Los Angeles, professor and the author of <em>Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism</em>, cited the administrators’ decision to deploy police officers to arrest pro-Palestinian protesters. They also mention the <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/04/16/usc-cancels-muslim-valedictorians-planned-graduation-speech" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/04/16/usc-cancels-muslim-valedictorians-planned-graduation-speech">prior cancellation</a> of valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s commencement address.</p> <p>“To speak at USC in this moment would betray not only our own values, but USC’s too. We are withdrawing as commencement speakers,” they wrote.</p> <p>Zhang and Noble said they hoped the letter would help pressure USC administrators to meet with student protesters, offering to give the commencement address as scheduled if they did so.</p> <p>“Until such time, we call on all commencement speakers still scheduled to appear at satellite ceremonies to join us by signing this letter; withdrawing from USC events; and supporting USC students, as well as thousands of students nationwide who deserve respect, not arrest and punishment by their own universities, for courageously speaking truth to power,” they wrote.</p> <p>USC <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/04/26/usc-cancels-main-graduation-ceremony" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/04/26/usc-cancels-main-graduation-ceremony">announced last week</a> that its main stage commencement ceremony and invited outside speakers would be cancelled this year, citing safety concerns.</p> <p>Planned speakers for the City University of New York Law School graduation recently pulled out as well; they said they were uncomfortable speaking at the ceremony after the university decided last fall to cut student speeches from the program altogether, allegedly because speakers in previous years had made comments supporting Palestinians and critical of Israel, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://forward.com/fast-forward/562804/cuny-law-school-commencement-student-speaker/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://forward.com/fast-forward/562804/cuny-law-school-commencement-student-speaker/" target="_blank">according to <em>The Forward</em></a>.</p> <p>“I cannot, as a leader of the nation’s oldest guardian of free expression, participate in an event in which students believe that their voices are being excluded,” one of the planned speakers, American Civil Liberties Union president Deborah Archer, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6ZHotLuKyb/?img_index=1" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6ZHotLuKyb/?img_index=1" target="_blank">reportedly wrote</a> in an email to university leaders.</p> <h2>Withdrawing on Principle</h2> <p>Hennessy criticized individuals who pull out of commencement celebrations for putting institutions in the difficult position of having to select a new speaker and explain the change to graduates and families. Even so, she noted, most students don’t care enough about their graduation speaker for the change to make a huge impact.</p> <p>“For a lot of students, they don’t know who this person is and they don’t really care who this person is unless you get the Oprahs, the Beyonces, the Bill Gates-es,” she said.</p> <p>But Angus Johnston, a history professor at Hostos Community College who studies student activism, noted that speakers who pull out of graduation ceremonies are likely giving up payment and changing travel plans to support causes they believe in.</p> <p>“If someone has been honored by a college, has accepted that honor and has made plans to show up, they are not going to withdraw capriciously,” he said. “They are giving something up in their decision to withdraw and I think it is reasonable to take them at their word when they describe the reasons for which they made that decision.”</p> <p>Most likely, Johnston said, the number of speakers who withdraw or who critique the institution they are addressing will be vastly outnumbered by those who are boycotted or jeered at by students. Already, students at the University of Vermont have <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://vtdigger.org/2024/04/29/as-uvm-pro-palestinian-encampment-enters-2nd-day-protestors-call-for-action-at-commencement/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://vtdigger.org/2024/04/29/as-uvm-pro-palestinian-encampment-enters-2nd-day-protestors-call-for-action-at-commencement/" target="_blank">criticized</a> their institution’s decision to invite Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, to address graduates and receive an honorary degree, because she has <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us-casts-third-veto-un-action-since-start-israel-hamas-war-2024-02-20/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.reuters.com/world/us-casts-third-veto-un-action-since-start-israel-hamas-war-2024-02-20/" target="_blank">thrice vetoed</a> a ceasefire in Gaza.</p> <p>“UVM has made the abhorrent decision to award war criminal Linda Thomas-Greenfield an honorary degree and allow her to deliver the Class of 2024 commencement speech,” the institution’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6P3Cq4uUOq/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6P3Cq4uUOq/" target="_blank">wrote on Instagram</a>. “As Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s complicity is directly responsible for the deaths of our friends and families, as three Palestinian students were shot two blocks from where Linda is scheduled to speak, her presence on campus would be indescribable [sic] damaging to our campus community and must be resisted with utmost urgency.”</p> <p>UVM provost and senior vice president Patricia Prelock has since agreed to bring student concerns about Thomas-Greenfield to other administrators as part of ongoing negotiations with protesters who have staged an encampment on campus, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://vtdigger.org/2024/05/01/uvm-agrees-to-disclose-investments-in-response-to-pro-palestinian-protesters/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://vtdigger.org/2024/05/01/uvm-agrees-to-disclose-investments-in-response-to-pro-palestinian-protesters/" target="_blank"><em>VT Digger</em> reported</a>.</p> <p>At Morehouse College, students and faculty have <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2024/04/29/objections-morehouse-biden-commencement-speaker" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2024/04/29/objections-morehouse-biden-commencement-speaker">staunchly objected</a> to the administration’s decision to invite President Biden to speak at graduation, citing his ongoing support of Israel in its war on Gaza. </p> <p>None of it surprises Johnston.</p> <p>“Protests at commencement addresses are frankly more the norm than the exception in American history over the past century or so,” he said.</p> <p>Still, while such protestations may be par for the course, he added, this political moment is decidedly not.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-headline field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">SEO Headline (Limit to 60 characters)</div> <div class="field__item">Graduation speakers join the campus protest fray </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-primary-section field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Primary Section/Subsection</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/students/free-speech" hreflang="en">Free Speech</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-authors field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Byline(s)</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/author/johanna-alonso" hreflang="en">Johanna Alonso</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_650x650/public/2024-05/GettyImages-2150415510.jpeg?itok=k0oHeNyu" width="650" height="434" alt="A student in a graduation gown stands above a sign that says “free Palestine.”" /> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A graduating student at Johns Hopkins University stands in the campus’s pro-Palestine encampment.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-source field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Wesley Lapointe/The Washington Post via Getty Images</p></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-lead field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Summary / Sub Headline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Speakers at USC and CUNY have withdrawn from commencement ceremonies, while one at Michigan criticized administrators for failing to divest.</p></div> </div></description> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Johanna Alonso</dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">149246 at https://www.insidehighered.com</guid> </item><item> <title>Poll: Nearly Half of Adults Oppose the Pro-Palestinian Protests at Colleges</title> <link>https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/05/03/poll-nearly-half-adults-oppose-pro-palestinian-protests</link> <description><span>Poll: Nearly Half of Adults Oppose the Pro-Palestinian Protests at Colleges</span> <span><span>Lauren.Coffey@…</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-03T03:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, May 3, 2024 - 03:00 AM">Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:00 AM</time></span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The pro-Palestinian protests on many college campuses are dividing opinions—especially between younger and older adults—with nearly half of those responding to a new online survey opposing the demonstrations and a third saying university leaders have not responded harshly enough.</p> <p>More than a third of adults responding (34 percent) strongly oppose the protests, while another 13 percent are somewhat opposed, according to YouGov, a global opinion and data company based in London. In comparison, 12 percent “strongly support” and 16 percent “somewhat support” the demonstrations, according to the online three-question survey of more than 9,000 adults.</p> <p>YouGov releases topical, daily questions—including these three—across their social media channels and website. The organization <a href="https://today.yougov.com/about/panel-methodology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warns people</a> to be cautious with the results, as anyone can answer the question, across multiple platforms, and people with a specific interest in a topic can skew results.</p> <section class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true" x-data="{ open: false }" :class="{ 'is-open': open }"> <button class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular__button" type="button" @click="open = !open" x-cloak> <span>Most Popular Stories</span> <svg class="transform transition" :class="{ 'rotate-180': open }" width="11" height="8" viewBox="0 0 11 8" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M10.6234 6.00872L5.50338 0.710938L0.383382 6.00872C0.24429 6.15311 0.168257 6.34685 0.172007 6.5473C0.175758 6.74776 0.258986 6.93851 0.403382 7.0776C0.547777 7.21669 0.741513 7.29273 0.941968 7.28898C1.14242 7.28523 1.33318 7.202 1.47227 7.0576L5.50338 2.88427L9.53894 7.0576C9.67803 7.202 9.86878 7.28523 10.0692 7.28898C10.2697 7.29273 10.4634 7.21669 10.6078 7.0776C10.7522 6.93851 10.8354 6.74776 10.8392 6.5473C10.843 6.34685 10.7669 6.15311 10.6278 6.00872H10.6234Z" fill="white"/> </svg> </button> <div class="h4 wp-block-most-popular__title"><span>Most Popular</span></div> <div class="wp-block-most-popular__container most-popular-wrapper"> </div></section> <p>The first <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/travel/survey-results/daily/2024/05/02/8541d/1" target="_blank">survey question</a>, weighing opposition to the protests, showed significant differences when broken down by age, with younger people more sympathetic to the protests. Only 12 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds strongly opposed the protests, while 45 percent of 45- to 64-year-olds and more than half (56 percent) of adults 65 and older were staunchly against them.</p> <p>Similar patterns appeared in YouGov’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/travel/survey-results/daily/2024/05/02/8541d/2" data-type="URL" data-id="https://today.yougov.com/topics/travel/survey-results/daily/2024/05/02/8541d/2" target="_blank">second question</a>, which gauged the reaction to the response of university leaders. Only 11 percent of 18-to 29-year-olds felt the reaction was not harsh enough, with 29 percent saying leaders’ reactions were “just right.” But more than half (55 percent) of those over 65 and 43 percent of those aged 45 to 64 said the response was not harsh enough. Nearly a third (31 percent) of those surveyed were unsure how they felt about it.</p> <p>People were even less certain about <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/travel/survey-results/daily/2024/05/02/8541d/3" data-type="URL" data-id="https://today.yougov.com/topics/travel/survey-results/daily/2024/05/02/8541d/3" target="_blank">the third question</a> on the issue of university investments in companies with ties to Israel. While some protesters have called for universities to cut ties with these companies, 35 percent of those surveyed said they were “not sure” how they felt about it.</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-1" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>However, nearly as many (32 percent) said selling the investments would be “unjust and infeasible.” That opinion came mainly from the respondents 45 years old and older, with only 14 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds calling it unjust.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-ad-keywords field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Ad / Content Keywords</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/113" hreflang="en">administrators</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-headline field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">SEO Headline (Limit to 60 characters)</div> <div class="field__item">Poll: Nearly half of adults oppose pro-Palestinian protests</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-primary-section field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Primary Section/Subsection</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/quick-takes" hreflang="en">Quick Takes</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-sections field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Secondary Sections/Subsections</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/governance/executive-leadership" hreflang="en">Executive Leadership</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/students/safety" hreflang="en">Safety</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/students/free-speech" hreflang="en">Free Speech</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-authors field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Byline(s)</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/author/lauren-coffey" hreflang="en">Lauren Coffey</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_650x650/public/2024-05/GettyImages-2150553897.jpg?itok=VLEsvpId" width="650" height="434" alt="Pro-Palestinian protesters wearing masks and holding signs stand on stairs near an encampment at the UCLA campus " /> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Pro-Palestinian protesters near an encampment at UCLA on Thursday. The university had declared the camp unlawful, and many protesters were detained.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-source field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Eric Thayer/Getty Images</p></div> </div> </description> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Lauren.Coffey@insidehighered.com</dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">149241 at https://www.insidehighered.com</guid> </item><item> <title>Virginia County Defunds Community College Over SJP Film Screening</title> <link>https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/05/03/community-college-loses-county-funds-over-sjp-film-screening</link> <description><span>Virginia County Defunds Community College Over SJP Film Screening</span> <span><span>Sara Weissman</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-03T03:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, May 3, 2024 - 03:00 AM">Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:00 AM</time></span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Louisa County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to withhold its share of funding from Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) on Monday after its Students for Justice in Palestine chapter showed a documentary film on campus.</p> <p>Screenings of the documentary, “Israelism,” have <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2023/12/07/documentary-fuels-academic-freedom-debates">sparked controversy</a> on some college campuses in the wake of the Israel-Gaza war. The film, produced by Jewish filmmakers, is about two young Jewish Americans who question and ultimately abandon their support for Israel after traveling in the region and engaging with Palestinians.</p> <p>The Board of Supervisors’ resolution noted that “antisemitism remains a serious concern on a worldwide basis, and the Board of Supervisors condemns any discrimination in the strongest terms” and “public funds should not support platforms for antisemitism or discrimination.” The board resolved to “suspend funding for PVCC in fiscal year 2025 pending an in-person explanation by PVCC of the college’s stance on discrimination and antisemitism.”</p> <section class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true" x-data="{ open: false }" :class="{ 'is-open': open }"> <button class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular__button" type="button" @click="open = !open" x-cloak> <span>Most Popular Stories</span> <svg class="transform transition" :class="{ 'rotate-180': open }" width="11" height="8" viewBox="0 0 11 8" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M10.6234 6.00872L5.50338 0.710938L0.383382 6.00872C0.24429 6.15311 0.168257 6.34685 0.172007 6.5473C0.175758 6.74776 0.258986 6.93851 0.403382 7.0776C0.547777 7.21669 0.741513 7.29273 0.941968 7.28898C1.14242 7.28523 1.33318 7.202 1.47227 7.0576L5.50338 2.88427L9.53894 7.0576C9.67803 7.202 9.86878 7.28523 10.0692 7.28898C10.2697 7.29273 10.4634 7.21669 10.6078 7.0776C10.7522 6.93851 10.8354 6.74776 10.8392 6.5473C10.843 6.34685 10.7669 6.15311 10.6278 6.00872H10.6234Z" fill="white"/> </svg> </button> <div class="h4 wp-block-most-popular__title"><span>Most Popular</span></div> <div class="wp-block-most-popular__container most-popular-wrapper"> </div></section> <p>The resolution mentioned the film screening but did not explain what about the film or the SJP chapter raised concerns about antisemitism.</p> <p>A statement from the college to <em>Inside Higher Ed</em> expressed dismay over the move.</p> <p>“We regret the decision by the Louisa County Board of Supervisors to withdraw funding from Piedmont Virginia Community College, pending an in-person explanation,” read the statement. “PVCC has served the community since 1972, benefitting hundreds of thousands of students who rely upon the College’s affordable, accessible programs to support their career development. We ask that the Board reconsider their decision, as the College plays a crucial role in supporting the community.”</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-1" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>The college’s statement noted that the campus is “committed to fostering a safe environment for freedom of expression” and “like the Board, the College condemns any discrimination in the strongest terms."</p> <p>The statement did not address whether PVCC officials would provide the board an in-person explanation of the college’s position on discrimination and antisemitism.</p> <p>The sum denied to PVCC was a mere $5,859, a fraction of the college’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.pvcc.edu/sites/default/files/2024-04/Final.Packet-final!.pdf" target="_blank">proposed $500,600 operating budget</a> for the 2024–25 academic year, according to information from this week’s college board meeting on the PVCC website. The college, which enrolled almost 4,600 students this spring, gets funding from six other counties and the city of Charlottesville, where the main campus is located. But the move is symbolically dramatic at a time when community colleges have, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.9news.com/article/news/education/ccd-cancels-in-person-classes-auraria-campus/73-bde173d7-c372-4d12-b92d-3e5606902ce0" target="_blank">by-and-large</a>, not experienced the tumult their four-year counterparts have been embroiled in as students have <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2024/05/01/live-updates-campus-protests-may-1">clashed over campus protests</a> and encampments related to the Israel-Gaza war.</p> <p>Duane Adams, chairman of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DuaneAdamsVA?ref=embed_page" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">posted on Facebook</a> a day before the “Israelism” screening that he was disappointed the movie was being shown and could not “in good conscience support funding for an organization that allows a blatantly antisemitic organization use of their facilities.”</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-2" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>He wrote in a statement to <em>Inside Higher Ed</em> that the board has the right to withhold funding from the college until the college communicates with them about the issue.</p> <p>“The County unequivocally does not condone hate speech, including antisemitism, in any form,” he wrote. “We aim to foster a community that values diversity, inclusivity, and respect for all. While rights under the First Amendment are tremendously important, so is a stance regarding discrimination and antisemitism. The Board’s intent is to ensure that the college does not support antisemitic activities on its campus and intends to clarify the college’s stance with a simple conversation with leadership.”</p> <p>He said the board has the “the discretion to provide financial support to organizations that align with the County’s goals, mission, and values” and “may withhold or reduce funding from organizations that do not effectively contribute to the County’s objectives.”</p> <div class="block block-ihe-editor-picks"> <div> <h4 class="heading-line2"> <span>Editors’ Picks</span> </h4> <ul class="editor-picks"> <li> <a href="/news/admissions/traditional-age/2024/05/02/fafsa-delays-put-damper-college-signing-day">College Indecision Day</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news/global/international-students-us/2024/05/02/canada-and-australia-lose-allure-international">Canada and Australia Lose Allure for International Students</a> </li> <li> <a href="/opinion/views/2024/05/02/israeli-grad-students-choice-leave-academe-opinion">No Country for Israeli Academics</a> </li> </ul></div> </div> <p>He called it a “standard practice” for a college to update the Board of Supervisors.</p> <p>“Through open communication, organizations are able to help the Board make informed decisions,” he said. “These updates and discussions strengthen the partnership and shared goals between organizations and the Board, ultimately benefiting the community they serve.”</p> <p>County funding levels to Virginia community colleges vary year-to-year, and this isn’t the first time a Virginia county has denied funding to a community college.</p> <p>The Frederick County Board of Supervisors decided not to offer funding to Laurel Ridge Community College last year, a first in the college’s history, <em><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/frederick-officials-defend-decision-to-not-fund-community-college-this-year/article_4db3ab9f-842c-50a8-b3ea-c753d43c61ea.html" target="_blank">The Winchester Star</a></em> reported. Members of the Frederick County board said they suspended the funds because the college spent too little on student scholarships. But county residents and board candidates at the time speculated that the real reason was because the college <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2021/05/21/community-colleges-change-their-names-reflect-more-inclusivity">changed its name</a> from “Lord Fairfax Community College” in 2022 because its namesake was a slaveowner.</p> <h2>Pushback to the Backlash</h2> <p>Some Louisa County residents have criticized the board’s decision not to fund the college.</p> <p>Mary Kranz, a county resident for at least 50 years, who’s taken classes at PVCC, started a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-pvccs-stand-for-education" target="_blank">GoFundMe page</a> to raise the nearly $6,000 denied to the college. She’s garnered about $400 in donations so far.</p> <p>She said she was concerned by the board’s lack of transparency about the decision. She noted that no public notice was provided about the vote—it wasn’t listed on the Monday meeting agenda—and that it was not publicly discussed before it was voted on. She also believes student debate is part of a “quality education.”</p> <p>“A community college needs to have discussion where both sides can clearly state their views … and our Board of Supervisors just wants to put a clamp on that,” she said.</p> <p>Louisa County is a rural area that leans rightward in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://ballotpedia.org/Louisa_County,_Virginia,_elections,_2022" target="_blank">polling data</a>, but Kranz said it hasn’t had the kinds of “culture wars” <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2023/10/24/virginia-election-hanover-county-school-board-referendum" target="_blank">nearby counties</a> have experienced, such as infighting on local school boards over various political issues.</p> <p>“We’ve managed to avoid that, but this puts us right in the middle of it, and I regret that,” she said. </p> <p>Whether or not the move was legal is also in question.</p> <p>Haley Gluhanich, senior program officer for campus rights advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech advocacy organization, said, in general, even if student activists were making antisemitic statements, “hate speech” is legally protected under the First Amendment, unless it’s coupled with a form of unprotected speech like “discriminatory harassment” that’s “so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it can be said to deprive the victim of access to educational opportunities.”</p> <p>“Government entities, whether that be a public university or college or a government official, a department of the government, federal level, state level, local level … they are obligated to abide by the First Amendment,” she said. The First Amendment also “forbids government entities from viewpoint discrimination.”</p> <p>She emphasized that these principles apply to speech on both the pro-Israel and the pro-Palestinian sides of current campus conflicts.</p> <p>“We’re going to give you the same answers, no matter what the view or the opinion is,” she said. Moments of “high tension” are “when the First Amendment is the most important.”</p> <p>“Israelism,” which debuted at a film festival last year, has had about 150 official screenings, about half of them on college campuses. There have been a handful of unsuccessful attempts to shut down campus screenings, including at the University of Pennsylvania, Hunter College, Yale University and Barnard University. University of Pennsylvania administrators denied the event official approval, allegedly asked the Middle East Center to cancel, and threatened to take disciplinary action against Penn Chavurah, the progressive Jewish student group hosting the screening. The debacle reportedly led the faculty director of the university’s Middle East Center to resign.</p> <p>Still, Erin Axelman, co-director and co-producer of “Israelism” found it “very bizarre” that their film was embroiled in the Louisa County conflict.</p> <p>The film is “made by Jewish people about Jewish people, about very common Jewish experiences,” Axelman said, noting that “the American Jewish community is incredibly divided. When it comes to support for Israel.”</p> <p>Axelman, who’s Jewish, was alarmed by the suspension of funds to PVCC and made repeated calls to Adams, the chairman of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.</p> <p>Axelman believes the move conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism in a way that obfuscates actual antisemitism and the board is “weaponizing antisemitism for their own far-right political games.”</p> <p>“Antisemitism is very, very real,” Axelman said. “Conspiracy theories, stereotypes, the demonization of Jewish people, exaggerations of Jewish power are very, very real and truly threaten Jewish lives … That being said, talking about Palestine, talking about real things Israel has done to the Palestinian people, talking about the real experiences of many American Jews who become disenchanted with Zionism and Israel is obviously not antisemitism.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-headline field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">SEO Headline (Limit to 60 characters)</div> <div class="field__item">Community college loses county funds over SJP film screening</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-primary-section field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Primary Section/Subsection</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/students/free-speech" hreflang="en">Free Speech</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-sections field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Secondary Sections/Subsections</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/institutions/community-colleges" hreflang="en">Community Colleges</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-authors field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Byline(s)</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/author/sara-weissman" hreflang="en">Sara Weissman</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_650x650/public/2024-05/43670266274_db0c0f2aae_c.jpg?itok=c8QngipJ" width="650" height="434" alt="An academic building reads Piedmont Virginia Community College against a blue sky. " /> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Louisa County Board of Supervisors resolved that Piedmont Virginia Community College won’t receive funding from them for the 2025 fiscal year.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-source field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Flickr/<a class="owner-name truncate" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/piedmontvacc/" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1714693217271_1946">Piedmont Virginia Community College</a></p></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-lead field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Summary / Sub Headline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>After Students for Justice in Palestine showed a movie on campus at Piedmont Virginia Community College, a local county suspended funding for the college.</p></div> </div></description> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Sara Weissman</dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">149231 at https://www.insidehighered.com</guid> </item><item> <title>The Cost of Lockdowns on Health Care Access: Academic Minute</title> <link>https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/05/03/cost-lockdowns-health-care-access-academic-minute</link> <description><span>The Cost of Lockdowns on Health Care Access: Academic Minute</span> <span><span>Doug Lederman</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-03T03:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, May 3, 2024 - 03:00 AM">Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:00 AM</time></span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/podcasts/academic-minute/2024/05/02/cost-lockdowns-health-care-access" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/podcasts/academic-minute/2024/05/02/cost-lockdowns-health-care-access">Today on the Academic Minute</a>: Shamma A. Alam, associate professor of economics and chairperson of the department of international studies at Dickinson College, examines how pandemic lockdowns affected those needing access to health care. Learn more about the Academic Minute <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.insidehighered.com/podcasts/academic-minute" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.insidehighered.com/podcasts/academic-minute" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <section class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true" x-data="{ open: false }" :class="{ 'is-open': open }"> <button class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular__button" type="button" @click="open = !open" x-cloak> <span>Most Popular Stories</span> <svg class="transform transition" :class="{ 'rotate-180': open }" width="11" height="8" viewBox="0 0 11 8" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M10.6234 6.00872L5.50338 0.710938L0.383382 6.00872C0.24429 6.15311 0.168257 6.34685 0.172007 6.5473C0.175758 6.74776 0.258986 6.93851 0.403382 7.0776C0.547777 7.21669 0.741513 7.29273 0.941968 7.28898C1.14242 7.28523 1.33318 7.202 1.47227 7.0576L5.50338 2.88427L9.53894 7.0576C9.67803 7.202 9.86878 7.28523 10.0692 7.28898C10.2697 7.29273 10.4634 7.21669 10.6078 7.0776C10.7522 6.93851 10.8354 6.74776 10.8392 6.5473C10.843 6.34685 10.7669 6.15311 10.6278 6.00872H10.6234Z" fill="white"/> </svg> </button> <div class="h4 wp-block-most-popular__title"><span>Most Popular</span></div> <div class="wp-block-most-popular__container most-popular-wrapper"> </div></section> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-1" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div></div> <div class="field field--name-field-headline field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">SEO Headline (Limit to 60 characters)</div> <div class="field__item">The cost of lockdowns on health care access: Academic Minute</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-primary-section field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Primary Section/Subsection</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/quick-takes" hreflang="en">Quick Takes</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-authors field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Byline(s)</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/author/doug-lederman" hreflang="en">Doug Lederman</a></div> </div> </div></description> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Doug Lederman</dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">149226 at https://www.insidehighered.com</guid> </item><item> <title>AGB Report Outlines Top Issues for Boards, Leaders</title> <link>https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/05/03/agb-report-outlines-top-issues-boards-leaders</link> <description><span>AGB Report Outlines Top Issues for Boards, Leaders</span> <span><span>Josh Moody</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-03T03:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, May 3, 2024 - 03:00 AM">Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:00 AM</time></span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A new report from the Association of Governing Board of Universities and Colleges (AGB) outlined the top strategic issues for boards and senior leaders, revealing a sector beset by myriad challenges.</p> <p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://agb.org/product/top-strategic-issues-for-boards-2024-2025/" target="_blank">The report</a>, released Tuesday, identified the top strategic issues as:</p> <ul><li>Board independence and leadership</li></ul> <ul><li>Student success, the student experience and campus inclusion</li></ul> <ul><li>Leadership succession and support</li></ul> <ul><li>Business model innovation and digital transformation</li></ul> <section class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true" x-data="{ open: false }" :class="{ 'is-open': open }"> <button class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular__button" type="button" @click="open = !open" x-cloak> <span>Most Popular Stories</span> <svg class="transform transition" :class="{ 'rotate-180': open }" width="11" height="8" viewBox="0 0 11 8" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M10.6234 6.00872L5.50338 0.710938L0.383382 6.00872C0.24429 6.15311 0.168257 6.34685 0.172007 6.5473C0.175758 6.74776 0.258986 6.93851 0.403382 7.0776C0.547777 7.21669 0.741513 7.29273 0.941968 7.28898C1.14242 7.28523 1.33318 7.202 1.47227 7.0576L5.50338 2.88427L9.53894 7.0576C9.67803 7.202 9.86878 7.28523 10.0692 7.28898C10.2697 7.29273 10.4634 7.21669 10.6078 7.0776C10.7522 6.93851 10.8354 6.74776 10.8392 6.5473C10.843 6.34685 10.7669 6.15311 10.6278 6.00872H10.6234Z" fill="white"/> </svg> </button> <div class="h4 wp-block-most-popular__title"><span>Most Popular</span></div> <div class="wp-block-most-popular__container most-popular-wrapper"> </div></section> <p>The report noted that board independence faces threats from the political sector, particularly at public universities where diversity, equity and inclusion programs are in the crosshairs of lawmakers. It also cited as key challenges executive recruitment, student cost concerns and demographic issues, financial instability caused by declining enrollment at many colleges, and the challenges of leveraging artificial intelligence.</p> <p>“This is a crucible moment for colleges and universities everywhere,” Ellen Chaffee, AGB interim president and CEO said in a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://agb.org/news/press-releases/new-agb-resource-highlights-most-pressing-issues-facing-higher-education-governing-boards/" target="_blank">news release</a>. She noted that board and senior administrators are facing “make-or-break issues that impact the mission, institutional values, and financial health [of colleges and universities].”</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-1" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div></div> <div class="field field--name-field-ad-keywords field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Ad / Content Keywords</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/113" hreflang="en">administrators</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/117" hreflang="en">executive</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/120" hreflang="en">institutionalfinance</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-headline field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">SEO Headline (Limit to 60 characters)</div> <div class="field__item">AGB report outlines top issues for boards, leaders</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-primary-section field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Primary Section/Subsection</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/quick-takes" hreflang="en">Quick Takes</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-sections field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Secondary Sections/Subsections</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/governance/trustees-regents" hreflang="en">Trustees & Regents</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/governance/executive-leadership" hreflang="en">Executive Leadership</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-authors field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Byline(s)</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/node/4229" hreflang="en">Josh Moody</a></div> </div> </div></description> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Josh Moody</dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">149211 at https://www.insidehighered.com</guid> </item><item> <title>Northland Will Stay Open Thanks to ‘Transformational Gifts’</title> <link>https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/05/03/transformational-gifts-will-allow-northland-remain-open</link> <description><span>Northland Will Stay Open Thanks to ‘Transformational Gifts’</span> <span><span>jessica.blake@…</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-03T03:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, May 3, 2024 - 03:00 AM">Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:00 AM</time></span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/business/fundraising/2024/04/09/going-public-about-potential-closures-risk-or-reward">threatening to close</a> unless it could raise a whopping $12 million in a matter of weeks, Northland College announced Wednesday that its doors will remain open under a new “refocused model.”</p> <p>The <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.wpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/PressRelease_RefocusedModel_Finaldocx.pdf" target="_blank">plan</a>, which the Board of Trustees approved, is drawn from a range of proposals submitted by faculty and alumni. It includes reducing the number of majors offered from 24 to eight, restructuring the operations budget and cutting enough employees to save $7 million annually, and securing additional funds to address both short-term deficits and long-term stability. It also mandates the continuation of the college’s current intercollegiate athletics program.</p> <p>“To save Northland, we needed to significantly reduce the deficit in the short term and develop a compelling, financially feasible and sustainable model for the long term,” Board of Trustees chair Ted Bristol said in a press release. “Achieving this was an iterative process that included reviewing all ideas … validating them against the budget, and refining as needed to arrive at a workable plan. Now we need to execute on this plan.”</p> <p>The press release did not clarify how long the college is expected to remain open.</p> <section class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true" x-data="{ open: false }" :class="{ 'is-open': open }"> <button class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular__button" type="button" @click="open = !open" x-cloak> <span>Most Popular Stories</span> <svg class="transform transition" :class="{ 'rotate-180': open }" width="11" height="8" viewBox="0 0 11 8" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M10.6234 6.00872L5.50338 0.710938L0.383382 6.00872C0.24429 6.15311 0.168257 6.34685 0.172007 6.5473C0.175758 6.74776 0.258986 6.93851 0.403382 7.0776C0.547777 7.21669 0.741513 7.29273 0.941968 7.28898C1.14242 7.28523 1.33318 7.202 1.47227 7.0576L5.50338 2.88427L9.53894 7.0576C9.67803 7.202 9.86878 7.28523 10.0692 7.28898C10.2697 7.29273 10.4634 7.21669 10.6078 7.0776C10.7522 6.93851 10.8354 6.74776 10.8392 6.5473C10.843 6.34685 10.7669 6.15311 10.6278 6.00872H10.6234Z" fill="white"/> </svg> </button> <div class="h4 wp-block-most-popular__title"><span>Most Popular</span></div> <div class="wp-block-most-popular__container most-popular-wrapper"> </div></section> <p>The small Wisconsin liberal arts institution first announced its dire financial status <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/03/13/northland-college-fundraises-avoid-closure">in March</a> and declared financial exigency <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/04/05/northland-college-declares-exigency-and-delays-closure-slightly">on April 4</a>, setting a deadline of April 23 to raise the necessary funds. Even the day before the deadline, all hope appeared lost. But several <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/04/26/northland-delays-closure-decision-following-donations">“transformational gifts”</a> came in at the eleventh hour, giving Northland a lifeline.</p> <p>“It is not lost on us that today’s announcement could have gone a very different direction,” Bristol said. “Many colleges like Northland are being forced to make difficult decisions and we’ve seen many closures in recent years—even in recent weeks. We feel fortunate to be sharing a path forward despite the realities of declining enrollment and rising costs.”</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-1" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div></div> <div class="field field--name-field-headline field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">SEO Headline (Limit to 60 characters)</div> <div class="field__item">“Transformational” gifts will allow Northland to remain open</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-primary-section field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Primary Section/Subsection</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/quick-takes" hreflang="en">Quick Takes</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-sections field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Secondary Sections/Subsections</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/business/cost-cutting" hreflang="en">Cost-Cutting</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/institutions/private-nonprofit-colleges" hreflang="en">Private Nonprofit Colleges</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-authors field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Byline(s)</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/author/jessica-blake" hreflang="en">Jessica Blake</a></div> </div> </div></description> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>jessica.blake@insidehighered.com</dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">149146 at https://www.insidehighered.com</guid> </item><item> <title>The Scholar-Magician</title> <link>https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/intellectual-affairs/2024/05/03/review-anthony-grafton-magus-opinion</link> <description><span>The Scholar-Magician</span> <span><span>mclemee@gmail.com</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-03T03:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, May 3, 2024 - 03:00 AM">Fri, 05/03/2024 - 03:00 AM</time></span> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Around the turn</strong> of the last century, Sir James Frazer—an eminent Victorian anthropologist of the armchair variety—divided human efforts to understand the world into three broad kinds: magic, religion and science. This was, for Frazer, not a list of categories but an evolutionary sequence.</p> <p>Magic exemplified the worldview of “primitive” humanity, which encompassed our prehistoric ancestors but also the peoples encountered by explorers and missionaries, whose reports Frazer quoted. Magical thinking, as he understood it, is very simple and results-oriented. Stabbing or burning a magically charged figurine of your enemy will do them harm (similar action, similar effect), all the more so if the figurine contains fingernail parings from the targeted person, which will tighten the magical link. Should no mishap befall your enemy, it is obvious you did something wrong.</p> <p>Religion, by contrast, saw the world as populated (even created) by normally invisible entities in charge of natural forces and sometimes concerned with human endeavors. They wanted to be honored, or otherwise propitiated, through prayers and sacrifices. Gods and spirits had moods and temperaments. They might hand down laws or judgments, or take possession of a believer. Staying on their good side could be difficult.</p> <section class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true" x-data="{ open: false }" :class="{ 'is-open': open }"> <button class="wp-block-ihe-most-popular__button" type="button" @click="open = !open" x-cloak> <span>Most Popular Stories</span> <svg class="transform transition" :class="{ 'rotate-180': open }" width="11" height="8" viewBox="0 0 11 8" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M10.6234 6.00872L5.50338 0.710938L0.383382 6.00872C0.24429 6.15311 0.168257 6.34685 0.172007 6.5473C0.175758 6.74776 0.258986 6.93851 0.403382 7.0776C0.547777 7.21669 0.741513 7.29273 0.941968 7.28898C1.14242 7.28523 1.33318 7.202 1.47227 7.0576L5.50338 2.88427L9.53894 7.0576C9.67803 7.202 9.86878 7.28523 10.0692 7.28898C10.2697 7.29273 10.4634 7.21669 10.6078 7.0776C10.7522 6.93851 10.8354 6.74776 10.8392 6.5473C10.843 6.34685 10.7669 6.15311 10.6278 6.00872H10.6234Z" fill="white"/> </svg> </button> <div class="h4 wp-block-most-popular__title"><span>Most Popular</span></div> <div class="wp-block-most-popular__container most-popular-wrapper"> </div></section> <p>Finally, after untold generations, came science, which Frazer did not put as much effort into characterizing beyond noting the scientist’s “patient and exact observation of the phenomena themselves.” It was a certain patient diligence in pursuing questions about the world and, in so doing, increasing the capacity to invent. For Sir James it could be taken as a given that science possessed authority and efficacy that religion, let alone magic, never could.</p> <p>“Here at last,” he wrote, “after groping about in the dark for countless ages, man has hit upon a clue to the labyrinth, a golden key that opens many locks in the treasury of nature.”</p> <p><strong>But the sharp distinction</strong> between magic and religion was already under challenge from scholars during Frazer’s lifetime, as Anthony Grafton notes in <em>Magus: The Art of Magic from Faustus to Agrippa</em> (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674659735" target="_blank">Harvard University Press</a>). Nor is the line of progress from one stage to the next quite so clearcut as Frazer believed. A series of studies by the historian Frances Yates, beginning in 1964 with <em>Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition</em>, documented the strange intimacy between Renaissance scientists and claimants to secret spiritual knowledge.</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-1" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_1'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>Grafton places <em>Magus</em> in the lineage of Frances Yates’s scholarship, which, he says, “re-created what she saw as the elegant new magic of the Renaissance … [which] replaced the older, disreputable magic of medieval sorcerers with a discipline that offered true power over nature as well as new forms of physical and spiritual therapy.” Practitioners of “learned magic” were readers both of the humanist canon (expanding as ancient Greek authors became more readily accessible via Latin translation) and of “the book of nature,” in which the heavenly bodies, metals, gems, plants, parts of the body and so on were linked together in an intricate web of “correspondences.” The cosmos is a text in code.</p> <p>One eminent practitioner of “learned magic,” John Dee, a renowned mathematician and court astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, worked with an assistant to evoke spirits who taught them Enochian, the language of the angels, and advised the men to wife-swap, which they did. Learned magic pushed the pursuit of knowledge in new and sometimes dangerous directions, and with a book like Dee’s <em>The Hieroglyphic Monad</em>, the distinctions Frazer made are blurred beyond recognition.</p> <p><em>Magus</em> looks at how complex—and subject to debate—the status of the scholar-magician was. That it was also dangerous is a given. In principle, at least, the religious authorities held a monopoly on access to the supernatural. Even so, practices such as divination and the casting of love spells were perennial, and went on for centuries—without clerical approval, of course, but more often with their scorn than alarm. (Systematic witch-hunting was rare before the 15th century.) Learned magic was distinct from folk magic: its knowledge was available only to a self-selecting cohort of well-educated readers who had to be highly motivated to get access to the literature. To cultivate an interest in learned magic was almost looking for trouble.</p> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad wp-block clearfix" data-ihe-namespace-dynamic-attribute="true"> <div class="wp-block-ihe-ad__container"> <div><div id="block-dfptagarticle-leaderboard-2" class="block"> <div id="js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('js-dfp-tag-article_leaderboard_2'); }); </script></div> </div></div> </div></div> <p>Grafton’s biographical approach to the masters of this recondite knowledge (with Faust, Marsilio Ficino, and Cornelius Agrippa being the most famous) is also a study in the art of reputation management. The magus’s small but influential public included church authorities (sympathetic and otherwise) and scholars, but also secular rulers who might retain them as advisers. With the invention of movable type, secret and forbidden knowledge entered the age of mechanical reproduction. But a lot of the information and debate over magic took place via correspondence. While formally addressed to a single recipient, a treatise-like letter could circulate in multiple copies through personal networks.</p> <p>The author’s decades of archival research document the temptations and the hazards of magical self-promotion. “Even the most adept impresario of letter writing and print,” he says, “might find it difficult to work out the exact points where boasts of occult knowledge endangered his reputation instead of enhancing it.”</p> <p><strong>Here I am</strong> giving a telescopic survey of a book that turns on sometimes microscopic nuances in how magic was defined and practiced. Where Frazer merged phenomena into big conceptual lumps, the magicians Grafton studies were splitters of distinctions, beginning with Pico della Mirandola’s division of magic into two sorts.</p> <div class="block block-ihe-editor-picks"> <div> <h4 class="heading-line2"> <span>Editors’ Picks</span> </h4> <ul class="editor-picks"> <li> <a href="/news/admissions/traditional-age/2024/05/02/fafsa-delays-put-damper-college-signing-day">College Indecision Day</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news/global/international-students-us/2024/05/02/canada-and-australia-lose-allure-international">Canada and Australia Lose Allure for International Students</a> </li> <li> <a href="/opinion/views/2024/05/02/israeli-grad-students-choice-leave-academe-opinion">No Country for Israeli Academics</a> </li> </ul></div> </div> <p>“One, which lies entirely on the activity and authority of demons,” he explained, “is a monstrous and accursed thing. The other, when well-investigated, is nothing more than the final realization of natural philosophy.” This is something like a bedrock distinction, though advocates of the first variety would insist they were invoking heavenly powers. (There was much controversy over whether these were just demons in disguise.) In any case, Pico’s reference to “natural philosophy” is potentially confusing insofar as the term is now usually taken as equivalent to the natural sciences as understood over the last couple centuries. There was certainly an overlap. But practitioners of natural magic included makers of talismans who charged them, like batteries, with astrological energies. Their nature was not today’s.</p> <p>As if to render the concept of natural magic more ambiguous still, other practitioners—inspired by ancient descriptions of statues brought to life with magic—dedicated themselves to creating lifelike automatons, with some success. A sketch by one magician/engineer shows both the inner workings of one of them and how it looked with the mechanical elements concealed. The creature is a she-demon with horns, spitting fire, with a pointed tail accidentally showing from under the hem of her dress. Appearing at court as part of the evening’s entertainment, she must have been terrifying.</p> <p>In paying tribute to Frances Yates for charting this once-neglected (when not mocked) corner of history, Grafton writes that she “told her story with great learning and a bewitching style.” Change the pronouns, and <em>Magus</em> blurbs itself.</p> <div class="wp-block-group is-style-author-bio"><p><em>Scott McLemee is </em>Inside Higher Ed<em>’s “Intellectual Affairs” columnist. He was a contributing editor at</em> Lingua Franca<em> magazine and a senior writer at</em> The Chronicle of Higher Education <em>before joining</em> Inside Higher Ed<em> in 2005.</em></p></div></div> <div class="field field--name-field-headline field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">SEO Headline (Limit to 60 characters)</div> <div class="field__item">Review of Anthony Grafton, "Magus" (opinion)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-primary-section field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Primary Section/Subsection</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/opinion/views/intellectual-affairs" hreflang="en">Intellectual Affairs</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-authors field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Byline(s)</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/author/scott-mclemee" hreflang="en">Scott McLemee</a></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/max_650x650/public/2024-05/Duplicate%20Only%20%2818%29.png?itok=jxE7Mli8" width="650" height="432" alt="The book cover for Anthony Grafton’s “Magus: The Art of Magic from Faustus to Agrippa.”" /> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-source field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Harvard University Press</p></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-lead field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Summary / Sub Headline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Scott McLemee reviews Anthony Grafton’s <em>Magus: The Art of Magic from Faustus to Agrippa</em>.</p></div> </div></description> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>mclemee@gmail.com</dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">149141 at https://www.insidehighered.com</guid> </item> </channel></rss> 
