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A privilege -- not a right
Another university, another controversial speaker, and another confused debate about the invitation. The difference this time is an insightful op-ed penned by a professor at Clark University, where the administration first rescinded and then reinstated the invitation for Norman Finkelstein to address students. In her piece published in The Boston Globe, professor Deborah Dwork correctly explains the nature of campus speaking invitations:
An invitation is an honor. While it does not imply endorsement of the ideas presented, it certainly suggests recognition of expertise and stature. Of all the people who could have been invited, the speaker is the chosen one; the outcome of a deliberate selection process. Speakers, for their part, recognize this. They add such presentations to their curriculum vitae and thus build their professional reputations.
Dwork's concluding call for universities to "adopt a robust invitation process" echoes ACTA's recent call for "rigorous policies on guest speakers."
Posted by David Azerrad on April 20, 2009 at April 20, 2009 03:26 PM
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