Central Administrative Interference in CLA Hiring, June 12 2024
There is an urgent matter related to the recent search for a director of CLA’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (CHGS). In a series of events reminiscent of the Steven Salaita case, President Ettinger has “paused” the offer extended by Interim Dean Ann Waltner to Professor Raz Segal. His decision was in response to the vocal objections from outside groups raised concerning Professor Segal’s scholarship and extramural utterances. Most of the press coverage has just repeated the talking points of the people who wish to derail his hiring (STRIB, mpr). One reason that the coverage is so lopsided is that the people who can speak most knowledgeably and powerfully about Professor Segal’s qualifications and the search itself are those who participated in the hiring process–but they cannot speak publicly about personnel matters.
It’s therefore incumbent on us, both as a chapter and as faculty, to push back against this egregious violation of academic freedom, faculty governance, and institutional norms. Our chapter has today sent this letter to Interim President Ettinger, Incoming President Rebecca Cunningham, and Provost Croson. There is also a national sign-on letter that another group of faculty is circulating.
But to counter the flood of emails that Ettinger and the Board of Regents are receiving from outside groups, each of us also must take a few moments to write a personal note to them TODAY. It’s best if these notes are not too formulaic, so we are not providing a script. The note doesn’t need to be long–a few sentences will suffice. Just convey your sentiments about central administration caving to outside pressure, violating academic freedom, and overriding a faculty-led search process. Feel free to take some inspiration from our letter. We do ask that your demand be clear: that the administration reverse course and let the normal hiring process proceed.
Below you will find a list of emails to use for the addressees and carbon copies. Please share this widely and encourage others to write as well.
Send the letter to Ettinger, Cunningham, Croson:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
With copies to Waltner, FCC chair Mark Bee, AF&T chair Eric Van Wyk, the Board of Regents, and our chapter:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]), [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
The link to the letter is here.
It’s therefore incumbent on us, both as a chapter and as faculty, to push back against this egregious violation of academic freedom, faculty governance, and institutional norms. Our chapter has today sent this letter to Interim President Ettinger, Incoming President Rebecca Cunningham, and Provost Croson. There is also a national sign-on letter that another group of faculty is circulating.
But to counter the flood of emails that Ettinger and the Board of Regents are receiving from outside groups, each of us also must take a few moments to write a personal note to them TODAY. It’s best if these notes are not too formulaic, so we are not providing a script. The note doesn’t need to be long–a few sentences will suffice. Just convey your sentiments about central administration caving to outside pressure, violating academic freedom, and overriding a faculty-led search process. Feel free to take some inspiration from our letter. We do ask that your demand be clear: that the administration reverse course and let the normal hiring process proceed.
Below you will find a list of emails to use for the addressees and carbon copies. Please share this widely and encourage others to write as well.
Send the letter to Ettinger, Cunningham, Croson:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
With copies to Waltner, FCC chair Mark Bee, AF&T chair Eric Van Wyk, the Board of Regents, and our chapter:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]), [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
The link to the letter is here.