WCU APSCUF Executive Committee’s Statement on Academic Freedom*
The West Chester University Executive Committee of APSCUF affirms the statement from the WCU administration on 1 November 2023 that the university must remain “staunch defenders of the academic freedom of our faculty and the rights and freedoms of students not only at West Chester University but in higher education broadly.”
We reaffirm the right of all members of our community to express their views, engage in scholarly discourse, and participate in activism without fear of reprisal or retaliation, in accordance with Article 2 of the APSCUF Collective Bargaining Agreement. In this critical moment, we state unequivocally that WCU community members have the right to speak out on issues related to Israel and Palestine without fear of intimidation, harassment, discrimination, threats of violence, antisemitism, and Islamophobia.
As core members of the university, we commit ourselves to actively combatting all instances of discrimination and oppression. We recognize that threats and intimidation are no part of the academic endeavor and have no place in our community. In that vein, we are committed to working with the administration to prevent these instances from occurring, and also to protecting faculty members should they experience them. We recognize the increasing instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia, including threatened and actual violence because of the current conflict; we commit to defending the right of all to feel safe in their own homes and workplaces, regardless of the focus of their work.
In line with the following statement from Rutgers University AAUP, we believe that “people of all faiths, races, and identities deserve to live in a world free from war, violence, terror, and oppression.” In making this statement, we have no desire to sow division within our union. We urge our members to find ways in these difficult times to uphold the practice of solidarity, with each other, with our students, and with members of our communities locally and globally.
*The WCU APSCUF Executive Committee, comprising 18 voting members, voted by majority, not consensus, to approve this statement for distribution to WCU faculty.
**This document has been revised since the initial communication on 11/9/2023. The spelling of “antisemitism” has been corrected.
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