Palestinian-Israeli conflict stirs heated debate in academia

October 19th, 20180 ANN ARBOR – The BDS movement has become a source for discomfort on several levels, including American institutions in academia. After University of Michigan associate professor of American culture John Cheney-Lippold refused to write a recommendation letter for a student who wanted to study in Israel, citing his support for BDS,...

U of M promises “serious consequences” for faculty in Israel boycott controversy

October 12th, 20180 ANN ARBOR – The University of Michigan promised “serious consequences” this week for instructors whose “personal views” cause them to withhold letters of recommendation, responding to mounting concern that protest against Israel is harming students on campus. The announcement follows two separate cases this fall in which a...

U of M professor refuses to grant student referral to study in Israel

September 21st, 20180 ANN ARBOR — A University of Michigan associate professor is facing criticism for not writing a student a letter of recommendation to study in Israel. John Cheney-Lippold, who teaches in the American Culture Department on the relationship among digital media, identity and the concept of privacy, had initially agreed to write the...