Women's Studies. New Paltz, and academic freedom

Doug Henwood dhenwood at panix.com
Wed Oct 2 11:02:50 PDT 2002


[A few years ago, a right-wing SUNY trustee declared war on the New Paltz campus for a women's studies conference that dared discuss lesbianism and display some sex toys. Now this...]

ATTACK ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM AT SUNY-NEW PALTZ

The Berkshire Conference of Women Historians (founded 1930) has been informed that the academic Administration of SUNY-New Paltz, under Acting President Steven G. Poskanzer, has refused funding to a proposed conference on Women and War, Peace and Revolution organized by the Women's Studies Program at the campus for October 19, 2002. This is the first time that funding has been denied to a program under the auspices of Women's Studies.

In the recent past, the Trustees of the State University of New York attacked a conference entitled "Revolting Behavior: The Challenges of Women's Sexual Freedom" also sponsored by Women's Studies at New Paltz, producing a major investigation of all academic programs at that campus, reviews of syllabi and the eventual removal of the former president who had the courage to defend academic freedom against ideological intrusions.

The new Acting President of SUNY-New Paltz has decided that the proposed conference on Women and War, Peace and Revolution is too ideologically imbalanced. He fails to recognize that the general area of research into war and peace has moved to center stage among women's studies researchers and that, in recognition of its importance, the organizing theme of the 2004 American Historical Association convention in Washington will be war and peace.

The Business Meeting of the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians, on September 28,2002, assembled at Lake Mohonk, New York urges the SUNY-New Paltz administration to review and reverse its decision and to recognize that academic freedom requires the airing of all views.

Moreover The Berkshire Conference membership commits itself to supporting the forthcoming conference and invites everyone to donate generously to

Women's Studies/CAS Women's Studies Program State University of New York - New Paltz New Paltz,. N. Y. 12501

This resolution will be circulated widely to the press, the women's studies and women's history organizations nationally and to organizations concerned with academic freedom and to the academic community at large. Adopted unanimously, September 28, 2002 Business Meeting,Berkshire Conference of Women Historians at Lake Mohonk, N. Y.



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