Statement on Academic Boycott

Higher education in the United States functions through a rigorous and open exchange of information, viewpoints and dialogue. Recently, several professional educational associations passed resolutions to boycott Israeli academic institutions. Such strategies do not serve our fundamental goal to enlighten and educate. Like all of us, I am deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine and hope for a peaceful and equitable resolution. However, this boycott would suspend academic partnerships with Israeli universities. It would reject scholarship by Israeli academics if they acknowledged support by Israeli universities. In effect, the boycott tarnishes the gold standard of academic review and undermines academic freedom — the very heart of the academic enterprise. As president of California State University, Northridge, I strongly affirm and share CSU Chancellor White’s opposition to this boycott.