Higher Education

NCAC Responds to American University Museum’s Removal of Controversial Sculpture; UPDATE: NCAC Advises AU Museum on Strategies to Avoid Future Controversy

By |2020-01-03T15:42:53-05:00January 30th, 2017|Blog|

American University Museum in Washington D.C. flubbed its approach to a controversial sculpture after it claimed it did not want the message of the sculpture to be deemed the institution's own.

NCAC & FIRE Respond to Fordham’s Feeble Justification for Denying Club Status to pro-Palestine Group; UPDATE: SJP Students File Lawsuit Against Fordham

By |2017-04-27T17:38:17-04:00January 23rd, 2017|Blog|

The University have justified the decision based on the group’s “political goals” and support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, which they say are contrary to Fordham’s “mission and values.”

NCAC & FIRE Defend Winthrop University Student Threatened With Expulsion for Anti-Lynching Art; UPDATE: Winthrop Drops Expulsion Threats

By |2020-01-03T15:42:39-05:00December 8th, 2016|Blog|

The disciplinary charges constitute a neglect of Winthrop's role as a ‘marketplace of ideas’ and its responsibilities under the First Amendment.

Uni. of Wisconsin-Stout Moves to Censor Paintings of First Nations People; UPDATE: Chancellor Modifies Course, Paintings to be Relocated

By |2020-01-03T15:31:50-05:00August 3rd, 2016|Blog, Letters, NCAC at work|

The University's Diversity Leadership Team expressed concern the painting's colonial subject matter would reinforce racial stereotypes.

Untangling the Steven Salaita Case

By |2020-01-03T15:46:51-05:00August 6th, 2015|FEPP Articles|

By now, the controversy over University of Illinois Chancellor Phyllis Wise's August 1, 2014 decision to terminate the faculty appointment of Professor Steven Salaita has gone viral. A multitude of opinions have poured forth from blogs, news stories, editorials, and protest letters. The debate brings into focus the continuing problem of efforts by adamantly pro-Israel groups to suppress campus protests [...]

Professor Labeled a ‘Threat’ for Criticizing University Leadership Files Lawsuit

By |2020-01-03T15:00:35-05:00January 15th, 2015|Blog|

Last January, we reported on the story of Tim McGettigan, a sociology professor at Colorado State University–Pueblo (CSU-Pueblo) who was an outspoken critic of the administration’s financial management. After CSU-Pueblo President Lesley DiMare informed faculty and staff in December 2013 that “as many as 50 positions at CSU Pueblo” could be eliminated to compensate for a $3.3 million budgetary shortfall, McGettigan sent out a series of mass emails to the CSU-Pueblo community passionately expressing his concerns and encouraging students and faculty to peacefully protest the planned layoffs. But when McGettigan, in a January 17, 2014 email, invoked metaphorical imagery from […]

The post Professor Labeled a ‘Threat’ for Criticizing University Leadership Files Lawsuit appeared first on FIRE.

Koch Foundation Buys Academic Slots

By |2020-01-03T15:47:25-05:00November 13th, 2014|FEPP Articles|

The Koch brothers, Charles and David, are best-known for donating millions to the election campaigns of Tea Party candidates and others committed to fighting regulation of business and to protecting the oil and gas industries from efforts to combat climate change. It turns out that Charles Koch, through his foundation, is now also heavily invested in higher education. The money [...]

In Praise of Emotional Discomfort

By |2020-01-03T14:55:53-05:00November 6th, 2014|Blog|

The United States is proud of its freedoms, but it is also – and increasingly – a country of the easily – and proudly - offended. Being offended has become something of a political badge of honor: if I find sexist (or racist, or anti-gay) jokes appropriately offensive I am an enlightened feminist (or champion of minority groups or gay [...]

Threats of Violence Lead Feminist Critic to Cancel Speech at Utah State

By |2020-01-03T14:55:43-05:00October 27th, 2014|Blog|

Most often, when FIRE talks about “disinvitations,” the conversation revolves around colleges formally rescinding invitations to speakers because of something controversial associated with the speaker, or students protesting the speaker so much that the school either withdraws its invitation or the speaker backs out “voluntarily.” In more extreme cases, sometimes students will shout down the speaker on stage. However, a different type of disinvitation happened last week at Utah State University—thanks to a heckler’s veto of the worst kind. Feminist video game critic Anita Sarkeesian was slated to speak at Utah State until the university received an anonymous terrorist threat […]

The post Threats of Violence Lead Feminist Critic to Cancel Speech at Utah State appeared first on FIRE.

Untangling the Steven Salaita Case

By |2020-01-03T14:49:18-05:00September 5th, 2014|Blog|

By now, the controversy over University of Illinois Chancellor Phyllis Wise's August 1, 2014 decision to terminate the faculty appointment of Professor Steven Salaita has gone viral. A multitude of opinions have poured forth from blogs, news stories, editorials, and protest letters. The debate brings into focus the continuing problem of efforts by adamantly pro-Israel groups to suppress campus protests [...]

This Compromise Is Not Acceptable: Constitutionally Suspect South Carolina Budget Measure is an Assault on Academic Freedom

By |2016-01-27T16:02:52-05:00June 13th, 2014|Incidents|

National Coalition Against Censorship, American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina, American Association of University Professors , American Booksellers Foundation for Freedom of Expression, Association of American Publishers, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Dramatists Guild, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Modern Language Association and National Council of Teachers of English   As national organizations dedicated to freedom of speech [...]

NCAC, ACLU-SC and Allies Decry South Carolina Legislature’s Infringement On Academic Freedom

By |2016-02-05T13:40:21-05:00June 9th, 2014|Press Releases|

Political Micromanaging of College Curriculum and Punishing Colleges for Teaching Books with LGBT Content is an Assault on Academic Freedom June 9, 2014 Media Contacts: Michael O'Neil, Communications Director, National Coalition Against Censorship; [email protected], (212) 807 6222 x 107 Victoria Middleton, Executive Director, ACLU of South Carolina; [email protected], (843) 720 1424; The National Coalition Against Censorship, ACLU of South Carolina [...]

Baptist College seizes student newspaper, mutes LGBT community

By |2020-01-03T14:44:00-05:00April 30th, 2014|Blog|

Cedarville University officials in Ohio confiscated and halted distribution of the independent student newspaper The Ventriloquist after it featured two essays critical of the school’s attitude toward gay students. “The Final Decision” tells the story of Avery Redic, who was removed from student government and other school leadership positions after coming out, and “Fear at Cedarville” seeks to open a [...]

More Trouble in Academia: the Middle Eastern Debate

By |2020-01-03T14:43:19-05:00March 18th, 2014|Blog|

With by now predictable regularity, student activism - and even academic debate - on the conflict in the Middle East is met with punitive sanctions and attempts at silencing.  Such attempts exist on both sides, but disproportionately punish students and speakers critical of Israeli politics. The latest episode took place this March on the Campus of Northeastern University, where a [...]

Press Release: Proposed South Carolina Higher Education Budget Cuts Violate First Amendment Principles, Basic Tenets of Academic Freedom

By |2019-03-06T14:22:42-05:00March 18th, 2014|Press Releases|

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), ACLU of South Carolina, American Association of University Professors, Modern Language Association and other free speech organizations today sent a letter (below) to members of the South Carolina Senate criticizing the recent defunding of public institutions of higher learning because of objections to assigned reading. "The proposed budget cuts are designed to punish the [...]

MD State Legislators Take Aim at Protected Political Expression and Activity at State Colleges and Universities

By |2020-01-03T14:37:52-05:00March 13th, 2014|Incidents|

The National Coalition Against Censorship and the American Association of University Professors criticize academic boycotts, but warn public officials against interference with political expression and open discussion and debate.

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