Teach-in December 5 - Save the Date
November 22, 2023
To the Brandeis Community,
We have significant work to do within our community in response to the issues that have emerged in the wake of the Hamas attacks, the IDF response, and the controversies that have developed on our campus with respect to SJP, hate speech, and the need to ensure safety for all members of our community. We believe that this is some of the most important work in front of us, work that is central to our core mission and values. As challenging as these times are, they present an unusual opportunity for learning together, for drawing on the extraordinary and diverse expertise within our faculty, and for engaging in serious, authentic debate and inquiry, conducted in a community that values respect and diversity. In so doing, we best live up to our foundational Jewish roots, with their “emphasis on critical thinking, including self-criticism” in which “students and faculty are encouraged to question openly and accept nothing without study, debate and reflection.”
In keeping with these values, we are organizing a day long, teach-in on Tuesday, December 5, when all undergraduate classes and graduate classes in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the Heller School, and the International Business School will be canceled, and we will hold a series of in-person sessions on topics related to the issue mentioned above, facilitated by experts in those topics. A detailed schedule for the day is still in the works, but we wanted to be sure to share the general plan with all of you so that you can plan accordingly.
Thank you and we look forward to this important day of listening, learning, and sharing.
Best wishes for a restful Thanksgiving break,
Carol Fierke, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Jeffrey Shoulson, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Carmen Aguilar, Vice President of the Rabb School of Continuing Education
Wendy Cadge, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Kathryn Graddy, Dean of the Brandeis International Business School
Maria Madison, Interim Dean of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management