Deeds, Not Words: The Push for University "Neutrality" Harms Education and Society

Jonathan Becker, Vice Chancellor of OSUN, published an opinion piece in Liberal Education arguing that the sustained push for university “neutrality” during times of heightened political and social upheaval can ultimately harm education and society. 

As pro-Palestine campus demonstrations dominate the news, politicians and education leaders have invoked the need for neutrality as a justification for quelling dissent and even calling for police interventions. Becker writes that in this moment, it is important for universities and colleges to instead stand by their values and continue to promote democracy and engaged citizenship through not only education and research but also their institutional role as a civic actor.

“Colleges and universities should resist strict notions of neutrality that involve distancing themselves from social and political issues and instead embrace constructive engagement with society,” he writes in the article.

Becker perceives institutional civic engagement as “viewing colleges and universities not simply as places of discussion and debate but also as agents of change that work to alleviate some of society’s most pernicious ills." He goes on to suggest that higher educational institutions “devote resources—financial, intellectual, moral, and reputational—to contribute to the public good locally, nationally, and globally.”

Becker claims that universities can embrace their social mission by allocating resources to promote engaged research and community-based learning, provide space for legal clinics, welcome displaced students and refugees, and form international academic partnerships that engage underserved institutions and regions.

As OSUN programs at various partner institutions exemplify, engagement in social justice through education can include providing accredited degree programs in places such as prisons, refugee camps, and public early college high schools, or in partner campuses in Palestine and Kyrgyzstan, says Becker.

“The civic mission of colleges and universities can also include defending or expressing support for members of the community whose fundamental rights are being threatened or deprived, including those experiencing discrimination, dehumanization, and physical assault," he adds.

"By embracing their role as civic actors, colleges and universities can place more emphasis on their deeds than on their words, allowing their civic work to represent their priorities and their commitment to important local, national, and global challenges."

Read the full article in Liberal Education

Post Date: May 21, 2024