University Without Walls - Fall 2007 Syllabus

“Of all the civil rights for which the world has struggled and fought for 5,000 years, the right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental… The freedom to learn… has been bought by bitter sacrifice. And whatever we may think of the curtailment of other civil rights, we should fight to the last ditch to keep open the right to learn.”
-W. E. B. DuBois, “The Freedom to Learn.” (1949)

Who: All students, staff, faculty, and friends of DePaul.
What: University Without Walls discussion and dialogue.
Where: Student Center Atrium
When: 6pm every Wednesday night of Fall Quarter
Why: Because it is absolutely necessary.

Our Mission:

The recent controversy surrounding the denial of tenure for Dr. Norman Finkelstein of the Political Science Department and Dr. Mehrene Larudee of the International Studies Department (for suspected political reasons) has raised some serious questions surrounding the issues of academic freedom, freedom of speech, and social justice at DePaul University. Also, DePaul has recently canceled all of Dr. Finkelstein’s classes and denied him access to his office. This is unacceptable behavior for any academic institution.

Because of this we, the students of DePaul, seek to construct a University Without Walls. We seek to preserve the academic integrity of our own University by ensuring that a real and sincere dialogue takes place on campus surrounding some of the most important issues that face our world today. We believe that no issue is too taboo and that no stance is too extreme. We believe that no perspective is invalid and that no viewpoint is unacceptable. We believe in academic freedom as an integral aspect of academia and absolutely essential to a lively and informative dialogue to take place. We believe in a University Without Walls.

Our Plan:

We invite any student, staff, faculty, or friend to come and join us in discussing issues related to, but not limited to: Israel / Palestine, International Relations, U.S. Foreign Policy, War, Peace, Social Justice, and Academic Freedom. We will be meeting in the Student Center Atrium between 6pm and 9pm each Wednesday night and will be holding other various events throughout the academic year.

At the end of the quarter, during Finals Week, we will be writing research papers about what we have learned and discussed during University Without Walls in relation to the DePaul administration’s decision to deny tenure to Dr. Norman Finkelstein and Dr. Mehrene Larudee. These papers will be sent to Fr. Holtschneider, the man who made the final decision, and we will request that he grade them for us.

Our Invitation:

Each week a different student, staff member, faculty member, or friend will facilitate a discussion about a reading, film, or topic that they find pertinent to our discussion about these issues. On the back of this sheet there is our Fall Quarter University Without Walls Schedule. If you would like to participate come to any of the discussions just pick up any of the readings (all of which are available online) and read them before the Wednesday meeting. Come, bring your friends, and be ready to discuss the material and offer your input and perspective. If you would like to facilitate your own discussion on any issue feel free to do so, as there have been some meetings open for anyone’s input. Just contact us at our website at www.academicfreedomchicago.org

University Without Walls - Fall 2007 Schedule