New York Governor Kathy Hochul has directed the state's public university system to remove a job listing for a professorship in Palestinian studies at Hunter College, in a move that has ignited a fierce debate over academic freedom.
The advertisement, which originally appeared on Hunter College's website, sought “a historically grounded scholar who takes a critical lens to issues pertaining to Palestine including but not limited to: settler colonialism, genocide, human rights, apartheid, migration, climate and infrastructure devastation, health, race, gender and sexuality”.
But the job listing for the social sciences and arts and humanities departments, described as part of a "cluster hire", has been removed from the university's website.
The state of New York serves as the primary financier for the four-year institutions within the City University of New York (CUNY) system, while the city contributes additional funds to support its community colleges.
The faculty and staff union at CUNY issued a strong condemnation in a letter to the New York Governor and the university's chancellor on Wednesday.
They emphasised that academic freedom is defined as “the freedom of a teacher or researcher in higher education to investigate and discuss the issues in his or her academic field, and to teach and publish findings without interference from administrators, boards of trustees, political figures, donors or other entities”.
“Teaching is not indoctrination,” the letter read. “What’s needed are inclusive ways of teaching, not cancelling concepts and areas of study.”
The faculty members also argued against what they view as the encroachment of “divisive concepts” standards, similar to those implemented in Florida, where the state government barred public universities from allocating funds for diversity, equity and inclusion programmes.
“CUNY colleges are already seeking to limit the rights of assembly and speech on their campuses. CUNY faculty are being investigated when a student objects to a classroom topic or a choice of words. What will be next on the list of unacceptable topics?” they asked.
Echoing the faculty's sentiments, Heba Gowayed, a sociology professor at Hunter College, voiced her frustration and dismay on social media, labelling the current climate as reminiscent of “a new McCarthy era” and lamenting the “stupid, depressing and dangerous” nature of the developments.
“Too many are complicit. I’ll need to find upset and action, but for now I’m feeling grief at the dehumanisation inherent to all this,” she wrote.
Following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, on southern Israel, two CUNY professors known for their pro-Palestinian views did not have their contracts renewed.
Danny Shaw, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, claims he became the focus of a campaign by pro-Israel groups advocating for his dismissal after 18 years in his role. Lisa Hofman-Kuroda, a lecturer at Hunter College, faced scrutiny over her pro-Palestinian posts on social media.
The decision also comes after a wave of pro-Palestine student protests across the country last year that originated at Columbia University in New York. Hundreds of students demonstrating at Columbia and other universities and colleges were arrested.
