http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/884071.html

The President of Dillard University, a historically black institution in New Orleans, sent a letter this week to Rabbi Marc Schneier, President and Founder of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, strongly stating the school’s objection to British calls to boycott the Israeli academe.

“It has come to my attention that there is a movement underway to boycott Israeli academics. We find such efforts anti-ethical to the value of academic freedom and civility,” Dr. Marvalene Hughes wrote.

“Dillard is a historically black university that unequivocally detests the effort to silent, isolate, discount and ignore the academic values of free expression and open discourse.”

In response to the letter, Rabbi Schneier said “we are encouraged by President Hughes strong position, similar to the one taken recently by Columbia University president”.

Britain’s University and College Union called upon its members earlier this year to consider an academic boycott of Israel, which would include holding funding from research projects run by Israeli professors and preventing Israeli lecturers from participating in seminars.