Universities across the United States have been thrust into the national spotlight as they respond to student activism and outside pressure related to the Israel-Hamas war, as well as increasing antisemitism and Islamophobia on campuses across the United States.
Like many colleges across the United States, Emory University experienced division on campus last semester, with student protesters at an October 2023 rallydemanding the University condemn the loss of Palestinian lives. The protest drew criticism from University President Gregory Fenves for the use of “antisemitic phrases.” Pro-Israel groups also held demonstrations, including a community gathering after a Jewish student was allegedly harassed for wearing a kippah on Cox Bridge.
The Israel-Hamas war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023 with Hamas’ incursions into Israel, has resulted in over 25,000 deaths. The Israel Defense Forces are continuing their ground and air offensive to take control over the northern section of the Gaza Strip from Hamas, a Palestinian militant group that the United States and other countries have designated as a terrorist organization.
Dissent, division on campuses nationwide
Student protests have sparked backlash from university administrators, with Columbia University (N.Y.), Brandeis University (Mass.) and George Washington University (D.C.) all banning or temporarily restricting the activity of their respective chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). Columbia and Brandeis also suspended their chapters of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), an anti-Zionist Jewish organization.
Both Columbia and George Washington University cited violations of their code of conduct in their decision to suspend these organizations. Brandeis, however, derecognized the group in a statement because “SJP openly supports Hamas.”
Emory has not suspended any clubs related to Israel or Palestine, although alumni have called on the University to expel some Emory SJP (ESJP) members because of the group’s support of the “Free Palestine” movement.
Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Physics Ilya Nemenman, who chairs the University Senate’s Committee for Open Expression, said that colleges can react to prevent disruption to operations, but that groups advocating for controversial causes in a non-disruptive way should not generally be removed, even if officials may view their stance as “wrong.” These stipulations are outlined in Emory’s Respect for Open Expression Policy.
“Emory has a long history of supporting peaceful protests and encouraging our community members to express their opinions and concerns about issues that matter to them," Associate Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond wrote in a Jan. 19 email to The Emory Wheel. “We remain focused on providing a supportive environment for the Emory community.”
Emory-Israel Public Affairs Committee is a pro-Israel club that has helped organize campus demonstrations. President Sophie Kalmin (26C) expressed concern that decisions to ban or suspend the groups would have detrimental effects for students in the long term.
“These are valuable perspectives,” Kalmin said. “I’d be lying to you if I said that SJP, especially JVP, haven’t given me … important food for thought.”
Elijah (26T), an ESJP member who requested his last name remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation, said suspending SJP and JVP will discourage open discussion on Columbia’s campus.
“The university should facilitate conversations which might upset people so long as they don't harm people,” Elijah said. “Columbia has confused the two, between upset and harm.”
Increased calls for institutional neutrality
Surrounding the environment of contentious campus speech, institutions like Princeton University (N.J.) and Vanderbilt University (Tenn.) have turned to variations of institutional neutrality as a potential model for handling student speech. The University of Chicago’s Kalven Committee created the concept in 1967, stating that universities should refrain from taking a stance on current issues to avoid censoring any minority opinion and instead focus on facilitating debate and expression.
“A university’s paramount mission is to provide an environment for transformative education and pathbreaking research,” Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier argued in a December 2023 Forbes op-ed where he championed the approach. “When it takes any position and sends a signal that one point of view is preferable over another — no matter how noble and well-intentioned the underlying issue — it creates a climate inconsistent with its purpose.”
Nemenman said he believes the approach is helpful at the University of Chicago by making people feel like they do not have to censor their opinions for disagreeing with the majority.
“The University of Chicago, from my perspective, has done it better than most others,” Nemenman said.
However, Emory does not currently have a policy of neutrality and University administration has historically taken public stances on current events, such as issuing a statement standing with Ukraine after the Russian invasion.
Elijah said that he believed neutrality policies would create a “flourishing” culture of debate and diversity of opinion. He was previously an undergraduate student at an institution that utilized neutrality policies, which he said promoted respectful debate and discussion and increased overall student political engagement.
However, Kalmin expressed concern that policies of institutional neutrality prevent institutions from responding to negative speech. She said that the doctrine can limit administrators’ abilities to create a safe campus environment for students.
Ivy League presidents resign
Former Harvard University (Mass.) President Claudine Gay resigned on Jan. 2. This followed the former University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill’s resignation on Dec. 9, 2023, coming less than a week after Gay and Magill appeared before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce.
During the hearing, Gay and Magill repeatedly refused to give a yes or no answer to Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) questioning on whether calls for the genocide of Jewish people would violate Harvard and Pennsylvania’s student codes of conduct.
Kalmin said that the university leaders’ testimonies lacked moral clarity. Gay and Magill responded to Stefanik’s questioning on whether calls for the genocide of Jews violated Harvard’s student code of conduct by stating that it was context-dependent. However, Kalmin said that there is no situation where calling for the genocide of any people is appropriate.
“Why is there a context in which calling for the genocide of a specific group is acceptable?” Kalmin said. “You need to be very, very clear about that.”
Meanwhile, conservative activist Christopher Rufoaccused Gay of academic plagiarism in her published works, including her doctoral dissertation, which played a role in her resignation.
Kalmin said she thinks that Gay’s testimony on antisemitism at the congressional hearing should have been enough to prompt her resignation.
“Why is plagiarism more offensive than refusing to condemn hatred?” Kalmin said. “It scares me as a student. Condemn hatred … It’s really not that hard, and if it’s not something that you’re willing to resign over, then I don’t know.”
After the hearing, Gay was subject to pressure from notable alumni and activists, such as Pershing Square Capital Management CEO Bill Ackman, who is Jewish and alleged that Gay failed to adequately condemn antisemitism on campus.
The Harvard Corporation, the university’s highest governing body, originally chose to retain Gay but later reversed its decision after an investigation prompted by reports of plagiarism in more of her published works.
Elijah said that he would like to see renewed, open dialogue between students and administrators at Emory to make sure students’ needs are being met at this time.
“I want to see that dialogue happen so that we can see a culture of care on this campus because I believe that's possible,” Elijah said.
