Hi there,
Fresh from AASCU’s Annual Meeting of university presidents focused on leading for democracy, I write to you as I think about how campuses can reimagine, reframe, and rebuild their place in communities and society—and the public’s trust—amidst the current state of unrest in the Middle East and on many campuses. How do we center our audiences and their needs when we know they’re far from homogenous?
Right now, you may be thinking, “What do I say?” or looking to a leader to say something—anything. In a crisis or in the wake of an extremist incident, campus leaders set the culture and tone of a response. Particularly when an issue is localized (i.e., recent campus protests or acts of hate/extremism), leadership silence is perceived as indifference by students and other members of targeted groups.
With the knowledge that you need to say something, it’s imperative to understand the audience you’re speaking to—students, faculty/staff, alumni, etc. No matter what institution you lead or serve, your audience’s opinions are fragmented. Studies conducted by NPR/PBS/Marist, the Economist, and YouGov find significant differences in support for Israelis or Palestinians by age, race, and even the social media platform where views are posted. These studies assume a binary—either pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian, or neutral. Digging deeper into the narrative amongst the social media posts, open letters, and protests on college campuses reveals much more.
The conflict in the Middle East surfaces generational trauma (e.g., Nakba, the Holocaust), struggles of marginalized and oppressed people, desires for liberation and free expression, and a host of other emotions intricately woven into individual and collective identities. Perhaps most worryingly, the complicated intersection of these issues can provide cover for acts of hate and extremism that are considered by some to come part and parcel with “choosing a side.”
This moment requires thoughtful attention and action. If you felt compelled to speak (and listen) regarding racial equity in 2020, you should feel the same compulsion now. Your community is engaged and impacted.
In the week following October 7, more than half of posts tagging the flagship social media accounts of U.S. colleges and universities were about this issue. Frequency varied from campus to campus. Sixty percent of those mentions tagged five large institutions; some were from known extremist harassers, such as Libs of TikTok. No campus is the same—amongst the campuses we support (which range from small private to large public), conversation volume and topics have varied greatly on this issue. The Campus Sonar team doesn’t advise clients on the content of a statement or response; we help them understand what their audiences are saying or doing and encourage comparisons to institutional values and goals to guide a response.
Data-driven organizations such as the Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American University and Interfaith America remind higher ed leaders that the structural work to encourage democratic, pluralist communities isn’t done in times of crisis, and takes years. We must prepare students, faculty, and staff with skills and experiences that prompt ongoing, productive, safe conversations that promote inclusion while recognizing and condemning hate, extremism, and harassment. If you feel inadequately prepared to engage your community at this moment, you can begin building strategies and structures for long-term success.
Listening is key to gaining confidence that the approach you choose is right for your community.
