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Dear Friend,
Today, MPAC is officially releasing its first Academic Freedom Report Card which grades major American universities on their protection of academic freedom and free speech.
Our team spent months carrying out in-depth scholarly primary and secondary research, conducting interviews with courageous students and faculty, and documenting incidents that universities tried to bury. The result is a critical investigation that reveals a troubling truth:
many of our nation’s most prestigious universities have failed to uphold the very principles of open inquiry and free expression especially when it comes to student voices speaking out for Palestine.
Across the country, students and faculty have faced police force, intimidation, suspension, and expulsion simply for exercising their right to dissent.
“Universities are supposed to be places where ideas are challenged and intellectual exchange is encouraged, not silenced.” — Dahlia Taha, Center for First Amendment
The Academic Freedom Report Card evaluates 20 leading universities across four key categories:
* Administrative response to campus protests
* Police and security involvement
* Engagement and dialogue with student organizers
* Impact on academic freedom and free speech
Some snapshots of the report:
* 🏫 UCLA: Police stood by for 3+ hours as counter-protesters attacked students, then arrested the victims.
* 🏫 Columbia: 400+ arrests, armored vehicles, and forced resignations followed.
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Read the Full Report Here! ([link removed])
Direct Quotes from Students and Professors:
“Administrators have tried to frame the issue of Palestine and the Israeli occupation as a religious issue between Muslim and Jewish students. They frame the issue like they’re addressing Islamophobia and antisemitism while refusing to discuss their ties to weapons…” —(Anonymous George Washington Student, Class of 2024)
“Whenever there is an instance of harassment that students or faculty face regarding Palestine, we are all told the same thing: to report it to USC’s Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX. No one has any confidence in this process, especially since the professor who walked by a student action to grieve and commemorate the Palestinians killed by Israel said they should all be killed, and walking on the names of the deceased was cleared with no consequence.” —Current Professor at USC
Even after this report is released, the work doesn’t stop here. We’ll be transforming its actionable recommendations into tangible impact, bringing them to meetings with university administrators and policymakers to equip them with accurate, evidence-based findings. We will continue to monitor on-the-ground developments as the attacks on academic freedom and expression continue.
“This report gives a grade to the best and worst colleges. It’s a wake-up call to administrations, policymakers, and civil society.”—Misaal Irfan, lead researcher and MPAC Policy Communications Manager
Together, we’re holding our nation’s most powerful institutions accountable and defending the right to speak the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.
CHECK YOUR SCHOOL’S GRADE NOW! ([link removed])
In Service,
Haris Tarin
Vice President of Policy and Programming
Muslim Public Affairs Council
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