The UnCivil University: Intolerance on College Campuses - Softcover

Tobin, Gary A.; Weinberg, Aryeh Kaufmann; Ferer, Jenna

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0739132679 ISBN 13: 9780739132678

Publisher: Lexington Books, 2009

Synopsis

In the name of academic freedom, the core values of higher education_honest scholarship, unbiased research, and diversity of thought and person_have been corrupted by an academy more interested in preserving its privileges than in protecting its own integrity. The American university has lost its civility. Nowhere is this loss more apparent than in the rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism on college campuses. This book documents the alarming rise in bigotry and bullying in the academy, using a range of evidence from first-hand accounts of intimidation of students by anti-Israel professors to anti-Semitic articles in student newspapers and marginalization of pro-Israel scholars. The UnCivil University exposes the unspoken world of double standards, bureaucratic paralysis, and abdication of leadership that not only allows but often supports a vocal minority of extremists on campus.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

Inside Front Flap The UnCivil University The American university is suffering from a moral crisis unseen since the great social upheavals of the 1960s. In the name of academic freedom, the core values of higher education—honest scholarship, unbiased research, and diversity of thought and person—have been corrupted by an academy more interested in preserving its privileges than in protecting its own integrity. Aided and enabled, sometimes unwittingly, by faculty, administrators, trustees, philanthropists, and even the government of the United States, the American university has lost its civility.Nowhere is this loss more apparent than in the rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism on college campuses. The UnCivil University, the first volume in the series, Politics & Propaganda in American Education, documents the alarming rise in bigotry and bullying in the academy. Using a range of evidence, from first-hand accounts of intimidation of students by anti-Israel professors to anti-Semitic articles in student newspapers and marginalization of pro-Israel scholars, The UnCivil University exposes the unspoken world of double standards, bureaucratic paralysis, and abdication of leadership that not only allows but often supports a vocal minority of extremists on campus. The UnCivil University tells a cautionary tale for all readers, whatever their background, of how higher education, an institution so touted for its open-mindedness, has become a prime vehicle for politically motivated prejudice. With millions of students passing through American universities each year, an attack against some should be of concern to all.Institute for Jewish & Community Research The Institute for Jewish & Community Research, San Francisco, is an independent non-profit dedicated to the growth and security of the Jewish community. The Institute serves as a national and international think tank providing policy research for the Jewish community and society in general. The Institute designs and develops initiatives that help build a more vibrant and secure Jewish community. It also educates both the public and opinion leaders through publications and conferences in four areas: demography and religious identity; the growth and vitality of Jewish peoplehood; the security of the Jewish community; and philanthropy.Back Cover Back Cover Headline The UnCivil University tells a cautionary tale for all readers, whatever their background, of how higher education, an institution so touted for its open-mindedness, has become a prime vehicle for politi-cally motivated prejudice.Back Cover Testimonials Gary Tobin and his co-authors identify a pernicious trend on college campuses and devote their considerable analytical ability to finding ways to combat it. Anti-Semitism is a blight on any society; it has no place in civil discourse. As this book makes clear, much work remains before it is banished to history forever. — Congressman Tom Lantos, Democrat, San Francisco, San Mateo The UnCivil University is one of those rare books that shines a light on a problem that many have been too blind to see or too ashamed to acknowledge—namely, the rise in anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism on the American college campus. Gary Tobin and his colleagues document this troubling development with meticulous care, showing how at many leading universities a small but aggressive minority has succeeded in sowing hatred for Israel and hostility toward Jewish students and faculty who dare to defend the only free and democratic state in the Middle East. This is a timely book, because the agents of bigotry and unreason on the campus have advanced very far toward their goal of closing down enlightened debate on the future of the Middle East. If they succeed, all of us—Jews and gentiles alike—who believe in the ideals of pluralism and rational discourse will be the losers. The publication of this volume represents an important step in restoring a civil and enlightened university.— James Piereson, Executive Director, John M. Olin Foundation The one-sided coercive atmosphere prevalent on so many of our campuses is depriving an entire generation of the kind of education they deserve. When it comes to social, political, religious, and ideological matters, the academy has too often shown a pronounced preference for only one perspective. As this important book makes clear, it is high time for all of us to insist that colleges promote a civil yet robust exchange of ideas—the very foundation of a liberal education. — Anne Neal, President, American Council of Trustees and Alumni

About the Author

Gary A. Tobin was president of the Institute for Jewish & Community Research (IJCR) and director of the Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University for fourteen years. His books include Jewish Perceptions of Anti-Semitism, Rabbis Talk about Intermarriage, and The Trouble with Textbooks. Aryeh Kaufmann Weinberg is a research associate at IJCR. Jenna Ferer is a former research associate at IJCR.

Edition details

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0739132679
• ISBN 13: 9780739132678
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 336