July 06, 2007
President Bassett Joins Objection to UK Union Debate
Worcester, Mass. - Clark University President John Bassett has added his signature to Columbia University President Lee Bollinger's response to the troubling recent decision of the UK's University and College Union, which opens up for debate a move to boycott Israeli academics and academic institutions.
President Bollinger issued a statement explaining why the UCU action is "antithetical to the fundamental values of the academy," and insisting that if it is "intent on pursuing its deeply misguided policy, then it should add Columbia to its boycott list."
President Bassett agrees that leaders of universities have a responsibility to counteract acts, such as the UCU's, which threaten to undermine the basic purposes and processes of scholarly inquiry. In signing he said, "My support of President Bollinger's statement does not indicate support of the Israeli government, its opponents, or any Palestinian group. It simply signifies my strong feeling that any blanket boycott of a whole nation's academics and universities is contrary to my belief in free intellectual inquiry and in the crucial importance of keeping lines of communication open among universities around the world."
Following is President Bollinger's statement:
As a citizen, I am profoundly disturbed by the recent vote by Britain's new University and College Union to advance a boycott against Israeli academic institutions. As a university professor and president, I find this idea utterly antithetical to the fundamental values of the academy, where we will not hold intellectual exchange hostage to the political disagreements of the moment. In seeking to quarantine Israeli universities and scholars this vote threatens every university committed to fostering scholarly and cultural exchanges that lead to enlightenment, empathy, and a much-needed international marketplace of ideas.
"At Columbia I am proud to say that we embrace Israeli scholars and universities that the UCU is now all too eager to isolate - as we embrace scholars from many countries regardless of divergent views on their government's policies. Therefore, if the British UCU is intent on pursuing its deeply misguided policy, then it should add Columbia to its boycott list, for we do not intend to draw distinctions between our mission and that of the universities you are seeking to punish. Boycott us, then, for we gladly stand together with our many colleagues in British, American and Israeli universities against such intellectually shoddy and politically biased attempts to hijack the central mission of higher education."
Among those also endorsing the statement are:
Jehuda Reinharz, President, Brandeis University
Robert J. Birgeneau, Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley
Richard Herman, Chancellor, University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign
Donna E. Shalala, President, University of Miami
Henry S. Bienen, President, Northwestern University
Graham B. Spanier, President, The Pennsylvania State University
Lawrence S. Bacow, President, Tufts University
M. Lee Pelton, President, Willamette University
The strategy and finance sub-committee of UCU's executive met on June 29 to consider necessary steps for members to be able to debate the arguments for and against an academic boycott of Israeli universities. This does not mean an academic boycott is in place, but individual branches are expected to debate the pros and cons of boycott, according to Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary. Hunt has urged her members not to support the boycott. As yet no date has been set for a vote on the issue.