Last week, in partnership with the Network of Engaged Canadian Academics (NECA), we prepared a petition urging the University of Windsor’s Board of Governors to pause and ultimately rescind agreements made with campus occupiers and the students' alliance.
These agreements compel the university to take a political stance on the Middle East and boycott Israeli universities, adopting an anti-Zionist perspective. A formal motion has been brought to the Board, but the Chair claims the Board lacks jurisdiction to hear it.
Below is the full letter from ALCCA's Chair, Mark Sandler, to the Board of Governors outlining the opposition to that position.
October 21, 2024
Board of Governors
University of Windsor
Dear Chair and members of the Board,
I am the Chair of the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism. The Alliance is composed of 41 community organizations that address antisemitism through education, advocacy and respectful dialogue.
We work together with the Network of Engaged Canadian Academics, a non-partisan organization representing nearly 400 diverse university faculty at 45 Canadian universities, including faculty at the University of Windsor, all dedicated to combatting antisemitism on campus, while firmly committed to fairness, inclusivity, and the promotion of academic freedom and viewpoint diversity.
I am enclosing for the Board a petition signed by approximately 2025 individuals (a number that we expect will grow as the petition is circulated) that relates to the agreements made by the University of Windsor with the Windsor Liberation Zone Team (campus occupiers) and the Students’ Alliance. You will see that the signatories include many academics from across Canada, many individuals associated with the University of Windsor, including alumni, and concerned Canadians.
The petition explains why these agreements undermine academic freedom, research integrity, institutional neutrality, and adopt a distorted, misleading view of Israel, Zionism and Zionists, including over 90% of Jews who identify as Zionists.
The petition should be read together with the supporting references, including the analysis conducted by NECA. These references are enclosed with the petition.
This petition is filed in support of a motion by one member of the Board of Governors for the Board to intervene. We ask that this petition be provided to every member of the Board of Governors in advance of tomorrow’s Board meeting and authorize its consideration in public session.
We do not accept that the Board is powerless to address agreements that impact so profoundly on the university’s policies, reputation and its values as an institution of learning. Some aspects of the agreements fell outside of the administration’s powers, some are discriminatory, and some are incompatible with the university’s responsibilities.
I am copying Mr. Ablaser, as the mover of the motion placed before the Board of Governors.
Yours truly,
Mark Sandler
Chair, Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism
In just two days, our petition attracted over 2000 signatories. Please sign the petition if you haven't already, and share it widely across your networks.
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