Post-Event Desctiption
First, They Came for the Scholars
Dr. Pippa Norris
On May 6th, nearly 50 Club members and guests, along with attendees for other Cape clubs and some members of the JFK Museum, came together in person and virtually, for a special event at the JFK Museum in Hyannis. Dr. Pippa Norris, the Paul F. McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics at the Harvard U. Kennedy School of Government, presented a powerful program entitled First They Came for the Scholars: External and Internal Threats to Academic Freedom.
Given recent events involving Harvard and other campuses, this topic was most informative, providing background information on the history of academic freedom, and the general state of such freedom in the US, as well as some international comparisons. After a thoughtful Q&A session, a Working Group reconvened at Albertos’s Restaurant to a working lunch.Three questions focused the discussions:
1. What should the President and Corporation (Harvard) do to counter the external constraints on academic freedom at Harvard?
2. What should the President and Corporation (Harvard) do to counter the internal constraints on academic freedom at Harvard?
3. How could members of the HCCC and related alumni associations play and active role in supporting Harvard in this process?
After a break-out period for brainstorming and discussion, the three groups reported their recommendations to the larger group. This is the first step in a process to explore, polish, and make recommendations to the President and Corporation. The Working Group and ExCom will distribute the Working Group recommendations to the membership for review and feedback before forwarding them to the School.
To view a recording of this event at the JFK Museum, please click here.