The David Project has produced what is termed an "underground film" that is causing controversy on the Columbia University campus. The film shows a number of students complaining that professors at this venerable (full disclosure: I earned my graduate degree at Columbia) Ivy League institution intimidating them for pro-Israel beliefs and even Jewish identity. There have been calls to fire particularly offensive professors, and so this has become an issue of freedom of speech and academic discourse.
Professors accused of "misusing academic freedom" defend themselves by a) denying the most serious accusations; and b) saying that they have a right to free speech and academic freedom. Yes, say others, but these professors must also respect the right of others to hold and express dissenting opinions. The university administration is now trying to work all this out.
So here's what I think:
- Professors who chastise or harrass students because of their nationality, ethnicity or religious beliefs should be fired and chased out of the academic environment. They can use their hard-earned PhD to pump gas. End of discussion.
- Professors (just like students) must be judged by the quality of their arguments. If their arguments are:
- based on disputable premises and logic, they must accept dissenting views as equally valid
- based on falsehoods and fallacies, the professors should be discredited and fired.
Professors - whether they like to admit it or not - are employees at their universities. Their attainment of tenure is based on academic performance, i.e., the extent to which they have professed the truth in their area of expertise. Tenure should be safe unless the professors discredit themselves and the university by professing untruths and falsehoods.
Now, when students write academic papers, they are expected to substantiate their findings with field research or secondary research from recognized journals. No less should be expected from professors who teach the classes. Professors can express all kinds of zany ideas outside the academic environment, but when they speak in their authority as professors, they must live up to the standards they impose on their students.
And this is what it all comes down to: there are many genuinely controversial issues within the Arab-Israeli conflict, and Israel is certainly not above criticism. But the wholesale demonization of Israel is based on intellectual dishonesty.
The accused professors at Columbia can have any opinion they want. The investigation against them should be based on the extent to which they teach their classes according to the university's academic standards, and whether their conduct is abusive to individuals. If they're found lacking, they should be disciplined and in some cases fired.
And also it's about truth on every statement said.
Posted by: relacid | July 18, 2011 at 06:33 AM