Should academic departments make political statements?
Preview:
A few weeks after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Barnard College posted a statement on its website supporting Palestinian resistance to “settler colonial war, occupation, and apartheid,” decrying Israel’s “horrific genocidal violence and ethnic cleansing,” and listing various educational resources for students. Two days later, college administrators “temporarily unpublish[ed]” the statement, claiming it violated Barnard’s policy prohibiting use of college resources for political activity.
Originally published: December 29, 2024
Author: David Wippman
Position: President Emeritus
Institution: Hamilton College
Published by: The Hill