Sunday 24 August, 2014
Board of Trustees
University of Illinois
Dr Phyllis Wise
Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dear Members of the Board
Dear Chancellor Wise
On Thursday 21 August I sent you a copy of our pledge containing signatures of 250 philosophers who will not visit UIUC until the Salaita case is equitably resolved. Tonight our numbers have grown to 425, as you can see on the attached letter. We join thousands of other academics in many disciplines in making this stand; we will not waver and are committed to this for as long as necessary. Our signers come from big and small institutions; they are established figures and brave early career folks; they come from the US, Canada, the UK, France, Austria, and a number of other countries.
We ask that you reverse your ill-considered decision of Friday 22 August, and instead affirm Professor Salaita’s offer, which was given and accepted in good faith. Vital principles of academic freedom and faculty governance are at stake and as a result the case is being very widely discussed all across the academic world.
Academic freedom has immeasurably enriched American society by offering room for vigorous and spirited debate. By making the decisions you did, you have damaged a great tradition in American civic life and grievously harmed the reputation of the university, which until now had been among the greatest in the country.
It is not too late to undo the harm you have done. By reversing course and doing the right thing here in the Salaita case, your role in affirming this great tradition will be long remember and celebrated.
Respectfully yours, on behalf of the signatories
John Protevi
Louisiana State University
As with all the other signatories, my affiliation is here given for identification purposes only and does not imply I speak as a representative of my institution.
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