Claude Khalife, a sophomore majoring in international affairs, is a Hatchet opinions writer.
Last month, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign effectively denied a professor of American Indian studies his faculty-backed tenured position.
Though the school has not confirmed a direct connection, it came after the professor, Steven Salaita, tweeted a series of anti-Israeli messages over the summer.
The controversy has reverberated across the nation. Some have focused on what Salaita posted on Twitter, taking advantage of his juvenile, insensitive words to rehash the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But the outrage over his firing shouldn’t be confined to a tired, inconclusive political debate – it’s about much more. Any individual who supports academic freedom should stand against UIUC.
GW students are incredibly fortunate. Our classmates hail from all over the world and have stories, ideas and opinions as diverse as their backgrounds. What’s more, our professors are experts and policymakers whose opinions are respected. Many of these faculty members are known not only for the breadth and depth of their knowledge, but for their unique perspectives.
Though I’m only beginning my second year at GW, I already recognize the impact that certain professors have had on my thinking. As a Lebanese-American, my views of the Arab-Israeli conflict are shaped by my ancestry, my time spent in the Middle East and the Lebanese community I grew up around in Boston.
Yet it was not until I came to GW and engaged with students and professors on opposite sides of the table that I was truly able to examine my own beliefs. Classroom debates led by engaging professors have been instrumental in better understanding the conflict, and conversations with ardent Palestinian and Israeli activists have deepened my comprehension of and respect for both sides.
Far from simply dictating their own opinions to their classes, my professors have forced me to challenge my own closely held beliefs – and in doing so, have helped me cast away certain ideas that were not rooted in logic but rather in the way I had grown up and the influences to which I had been exposed.
I recognize, too, that I’m just one student who has experienced a long tradition of political thought and activism at GW. Student protests, which helped turn public opinion against the Vietnam War, took hold at GW, and students’ anti-apartheid activism is enshrined on campus.
Colleges have long proved instrumental in expressing the political, moral and social viewpoints of a generation. While many of these movements have taken place outside the classroom, activists still owe much to their professors, especially those who have used their expertise to challenge and refine the opinions of their students. Whether in class or in private, the ability of a professor to spark debate and provoke students to think critically is invaluable.
