In response to University President Michael Schill’s agreement with student protesters to remove the pro-Palestinian encampment on Deering Meadow, groups supporting Israel are pressuring the Board of Trustees to fire President Schill. Recent communications from our colleagues indicate the calls from these outside groups may be gaining traction.

In the agreement, Schill committed to providing some transparency and support for those protesting NU’s investments in and support for Israel, and protesters agreed to dismantle the tents, save one for aid.

The Executive Committee of the Northwestern University chapter of the American Association of University Professors opposes the removal of President Schill as capitulation to political pressure.

Although we consider the “Interim Policy for Student Demonstrations and Other Expressive Activities on the Evanston Campus” as an infringement on academic freedom, the Board of Trustees’ removal of President Schill due to political pressure would constitute a grievous interference in shared governance and convey an erroneous message to our students, colleagues and the country about the ability of faculty and administration to oversee the university.

No president should ever be removed from office without a concomitant vote of non-confidence or censure by a representative body of faculty. The Board must understand that the removal of the president could spiral our campus into crisis yet again, and the faculty rightly would see such an intervention as a provocation to further disruptions of education.

We look forward to President Schill implementing his commitments, including the release of information on NU’s investments, and urge restraint on the part of Northwestern Trustees.

Signed,

Executive Committee of NU-AAUP

Jorge Coronado, President
Kyle Henry, Vice President
Jackie Stevens, Secretary
Sam Weber, Member-at-Large

Editor’s Note: This letter may not represent the views of every individual member of the NU-AAUP.

If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.