Story.
The New York governor, Kathy Hochul ordered the City University of New York (Cuny) to immediately remove a job posting advertising a Palestinian studies professor role at the state university system’s Hunter College.
In the job listing, Hunter College wrote that the institution is seeking “a historically grounded scholar who takes a critical lens to issues pertaining to Palestine including but not limited to: settler colonialism, genocide, human rights, apartheid, migration, climate and infrastructure devastation, health, race, gender, and sexuality”.
It added that Hunter College is open to a “diverse theoretical and methodical approaches” to teaching the class.
A spokesperson for Hochul told the New York Post: “Governor Hochul has directed Cuny to immediately remove this job posting and conduct a thorough review of the position to ensure that antisemitic theories are not promoted in the classroom."
Félix V Matos Rodríguez, the Cuny chancellor, and William C Thompson Jr, chair of the board of trustees, shared a joint statement regarding the removal of the job listing: “We find this language divisive, polarizing and inappropriate and strongly agree with Governor Hochul’s direction to remove this posting, which we have ensured Hunter College has since done.”
The job posting, which also said it was part of a Palestinian studies “cluster hire” for two positions, has since been taken down from Cuny’s website.
Cuny’s faculty and staff union condemned the move in a letter to Hochul and Rodríguez. “We strongly object to your removal of a job posting for a Palestinian Studies faculty position as a violation of academic freedom at Hunter College,” the Professional Staff Congress wrote. “We oppose antisemitism and all forms of hate, but this move is counterproductive. It is an overreach of authority to rule an entire area of academic study out of bounds.”
The New York governor, Kathy Hochul ordered the City University of New York (Cuny) to immediately remove a job posting advertising a Palestinian studies professor role at the state university system’s Hunter College.
In the job listing, Hunter College wrote that the institution is seeking “a historically grounded scholar who takes a critical lens to issues pertaining to Palestine including but not limited to: settler colonialism, genocide, human rights, apartheid, migration, climate and infrastructure devastation, health, race, gender, and sexuality”.
It added that Hunter College is open to a “diverse theoretical and methodical approaches” to teaching the class.
A spokesperson for Hochul told the New York Post: “Governor Hochul has directed Cuny to immediately remove this job posting and conduct a thorough review of the position to ensure that antisemitic theories are not promoted in the classroom."
Félix V Matos Rodríguez, the Cuny chancellor, and William C Thompson Jr, chair of the board of trustees, shared a joint statement regarding the removal of the job listing: “We find this language divisive, polarizing and inappropriate and strongly agree with Governor Hochul’s direction to remove this posting, which we have ensured Hunter College has since done.”
The job posting, which also said it was part of a Palestinian studies “cluster hire” for two positions, has since been taken down from Cuny’s website.
Cuny’s faculty and staff union condemned the move in a letter to Hochul and Rodríguez. “We strongly object to your removal of a job posting for a Palestinian Studies faculty position as a violation of academic freedom at Hunter College,” the Professional Staff Congress wrote. “We oppose antisemitism and all forms of hate, but this move is counterproductive. It is an overreach of authority to rule an entire area of academic study out of bounds.”
