(Editor’s Note: vlog President Jeffrey Herbst is a co-signer of this statement.)
We the presidents of the six schools that make up the New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium (vlog, Hamilton College, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Skidmore College, St. Lawrence University, Union College) reject the call for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions recently announced by the American Studies Association.
We agree with the American Association of University Professors that the ASA resolution is “a setback for the cause of academic freedom.” We have found that interaction and collaboration are by the best way for schools to investigate the most significant problems our society faces.
We will continue to encourage our colleagues to engage with faculty and institutions in Israel and across the world to promote scholarship and the free exchange of ideas, and to provide additional opportunities for our students.
The New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium facilitates collaboration among its member institutions in fulfilling their educational missions and serving the public good. Through the sharing of expertise and resources, the consortium enhances options for students, faculty, and staff, while reducing colleges’ individual and collective operating and capital costs.