In a systemwide email sent July 15, University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham appointed Provost Rachel Croson to create a faculty-led committee to review hiring and academic freedom policies and how they intersect.

Cunningham reiterated her decision in an interview with the Minnesota Daily on Aug. 29, where she said she hopes creating a shared understanding will build faculty trust in her administration. 

This decision follows the “no-confidence” vote Chief Academic Officer Croson and former Interim President Jeff Ettinger received on June 26 from faculty governance for the rescinding of Raz Segal’s offer to be the director of the Center of Holocaust and Genocide Studies (CHGS).

Croson received 80% of the “no-confidence” vote from the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Assembly and 53% from the Faculty Senate, CLA Assembly Chair Michael Gallope said. 

In more than 10 letters to Ettinger, Croson and Cunningham, faculty said the decision to revoke Segal’s directorship offer was a clear violation of hiring and academic freedom policies.  

A “no-confidence” vote means a change in leadership, Gallope said. 

Gallope said Ettinger consulted with very few people before publicly announcing the CHGS director search pause at the Board of Regents meeting on June 12. Gallope added Ettinger did not consult with the Faculty Consultative Committee, CLA Dean Ann Waltner or the directorship search committee. 

“The decision was made by the President in conversation with Provost Croson,” Gallope said. 

Gallope said Croson had a special responsibility to ensure Ettinger’s decisions were compliant with academic policies.

“There is no academic freedom at Hormel Foods,” Gallope said about Ettinger’s former position as CEO of Hormel Foods. 

The CLA constitution outlines the dean is the sole hiring authority for center directorships. 

According to the Board of Regents Academic Freedom and Responsibility policy, academic freedom applies to everyone and protects them from institutional discipline or interference from discussing issues of public concern in an academic setting. 

By rescinding Segal’s job offer based on his expert opinion calling Gaza a “textbook case of genocide,” Croson violated the University’s hiring and academic freedom policies, Gallope said.

Twin Cities Chapter President for the American Association of University Professors William Jones said academic freedom is not simply free speech, but the right to study, to conduct research and to teach and publish based on one’s expertise without interference from authorities. 

To not hire Segal based on his statements about the Israel-Hamas war means that the question is off the table for scholarly debate, which has serious implications for CHGS and other centers. 

“How can an academic center fulfill its mission without the freedom to discuss issues related to its mission openly?” Jones said. 

Jones said Cunningham’s systemwide email completely overlooks the concerns faculty raised about academic freedom violations. 

The University has an Academic Freedom and Tenure committee nominated by the Faculty Senate leadership and charged with protecting academic freedom on campus, Jones said. 

“It doesn’t make sense to have someone at the center of the conflict appointed to solve the conflict,” Jones said. 

The legitimacy of the decision to remove Segal’s job offer should not be questioned by a committee hand-picked by Croson, Gallope said. 

Gallope said this is “as flagrant as it gets for conflicts of interest.” 

Croson did not respond in time to comment. 

In an email to the Minnesota Daily, University Director of Public Relations Andria Waclawski wrote, “If you’re hearing from sources there’s a conflict of interest in that, it was the President’s decision, not the Provost, who is taking on those tasks after being directed to do so by her boss.”

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated Andria Waclawski’s position and misspelled her name.