Readers have been very good at posting contact information in the comment section at the Reader crowdsourcing project to fight American Studies Assoc anti-Israel boycott
You also need to start sending emails to Presidents, Trustees and others who have a stake when a university lends its name and funds to an organization engaged in an academic boycott which would include boycotting the university’s own joint programs and scholars.
Even though membership decisions typically are made at the department level, where many of the Israel-haters rule, the decision has university-wide implications. The membership is in the university name and the boycott affects university programs and scholars beyond the American Studies department. Moreover, use of university funds to subsidize ASA is a university decision, and in the case of public universities, also involves the state.
As of this writing, I still have not received a response to My email to President of UT-Austin regarding academic boycott of Israel.
Here is the email I sent yesterday to the President of Princeton University, one of the Institutional Members of the American Studies Association and an institution that supports the ASA financially through covering costs of attending ASA meetings.
To: Christopher L. Eisgruber [eisgruber@princeton.edu]CC: Martin A. Mbugna, Communications [mmbugua@princeton.edu]Mary DeLorenzo, Asst. to the President [maryd@princeton.edu]Dear President Eisgruber:Princeton University is an Institutional Member of the American Studies Association (ASA), contributing its good name and dues to the ASA, and also funding ASA indirectly through covering the cost of attending the ASA annual meeting.The ASA just adopted an academic boycott of Israel. The American Association of University Professors has rejected academic boycotts of Israel in general, and has rejected the ASA boycott specifically, on grounds of violation of academic freedom. The anti-Israel academic boycott also amounts to discrimination on the basis of national origin as Israeli academics will be subjected to verification procedures not applicable to academics from any other nation.The ASA boycott is pernicious because it includes boycott of programs run by Israeli academic institutions and encourages American academics to police compliance with the boycott. You can find an explantion in my prior post about the boycott.This anti-Israel academic boycott has particular implications for Princeton given Princeton”s strong ties to the Israeli academic community and joint programming. Among other things, Princeton has approved study abroad programs at three Israeli universities, an exchange program with Hebrew University, and was a participant in a recent delegation to Israel to expore expanding partnerships. All such programs and partnerships would be covered by the ASA boycott and also expose Israeli academics to the boycott. Princeton also recently posted a faculty opening in Judaic Studies, which presumably would be open to Israeli scholars who may retain some affiliation with Israeli academic institutions. Princeton also hosts visiting Israeli scholars from time to time.Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren obtained his Masters and Doctoral degrees from Princeton, and now is affiliated with the Lauder School of Government Diplomacy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel. Dr. Oren would be covered by the ASA boycott. Although Dr. Oren is a celebrated Princeton alumnus featured in its magazine, Dr. Oren would be turned away from an ASA conference unless he agreed not to represent his current academic institution.No other nation is subject to this purity test by ASA. Not a scholar from Iran, Syria, Cuba, China or any other nation with human rights and academic freedom records far worse than Israel.Will Princeton be a participant in this egregious breach of academic freedom and national origin discrimination through its continued membership in ASA and indirect funding of ASA through covering the costs of attending annual meetings?Please let me know Princeton’s position, so that I may inform my readership.Thank you,Willam A. JacobsonLegal Insurrection Blog
Update: A Princeton alumnus, who based on his job history probably has good contacts at the university, contacted me alleging that Princeton is not an Institutional Member:
Dear Professor Jacobson:Appreciate your efforts in fighting the boycott. However, on an issue like this, it is also important to be 100% accurate. I have verified from a senior Princeton faculty member in a position to know, that Princeton is not an institutional member of the ASA although some faculty members hold individual memberships.I believe your posted letter to President Eisgruber should be removed and replace with something that is accurate.Good luck on your efforts.
My response was:
Princeton is listed in the ASA quarterly as an Institutional Member. Attached. If that is not accurate, and a senior Princeton official in a position of knowledge can confirm that on the record, then I will update the post indicating that ASA has misrepresented Princeton’s membership.Also, Princeton does provide financial assistance in the form of university funds used to cover the costs of attending ASA meetings.
[SEE UPDATE NO.2 BELOW, I WAS RIGHT]
The ASA website represents that “A list of institutional members is published in each issue of the American Quarterly, the Guide to American Studies Resources, and the annual meeting Program.”
Here are the 2013 entries for Insitutional Members from the American Quarterly (has to be viewed in full screen to be readable):
ASA Institutional Members 2013
UPDATE NO. 2, 9:15 p.m. — The Princeton alumnus who wrote earlier wrote to apologize, and that yes I was right, Princeton does have a membership:
Professor JacobsonI stand correct and must apologize. Although the Professor who provided the information usually has impeccable knowledge and is an active member of the Jewish community, the Program Manager confirmed to a student that Princeton does have a membership.Thank you for your efforts.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY