Sunday, December 01, 2024

ASEEES Board Statement on Campus Protest and Academic Freedom

With regard to protests on university campuses, the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies unequivocally reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the principles of academic freedom, deplores hate speech, and condemns the use of violent methods in all forms. 

We are deeply troubled by the violence that members of university campuses across the United States and around the world have endured in recent months. By preventing the free exchange of ideas, violence undermines people’s confidence in their institutions, deprives them of the right to safety in a learning environment, and discourages open scholarly inquiry that our universities are meant to safeguard and encourage. 

Academic freedom is fundamental to our association, which includes students, faculty, and campus administrators. Our association stands firmly for the rights of all members to engage in open discourse without fear of retaliation. We call on all members of the academic community to engage in peaceful dialogue and to uphold the foundational principles of academic freedom, even amidst profound discordance. 

Signed,

ASEEES Board of Directors and the Committee on Academic Freedom and Advocacy