CAA News Today
CAA Signs on to the American Council of Learned Societies Statement on 2024 Campus Protests
posted by CAA — May 13, 2024
CAA has signed on to the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Statement on 2024 Campus Protests, which, like the American Historical Association (AHA) statement last week, was issued in response to recent decisions by colleges and universities to encourage police intervention and suppress protests.
Both AHA and ACLS statements resonate with CAA’s mission to advocate for the visual arts through “intellectual engagement and a commitment to the diversity of practices and practitioners,” as more broadly this speaks to a commitment to advocating for diversity of ideas. Opposing ideas, whether expressed via visual art or through protest, can disturb and trigger discomfort. However, per the ACLS statement, “while administrators have every right and duty to secure the safety of their campus communities, they cannot and should not shield students or others from the experience of hearing strongly worded statements which might make them deeply uncomfortable. It is the nature of protest to be loud, sometimes discourteous, and contentious. But, as scholars, we believe that suppressing the expression of unpopular or uncomfortable ideas by students or faculty engaged in peaceful protest does not do justice to the values at the heart of the university.”
Visit the ACLS website to view the full list of individuals, societies, and institutions who have signed on to this statement.
Join the CAA Board of Directors
posted by CAA — May 06, 2024
Now accepting Board of Directors nominations for the 2025–29 term! CAA seeks individuals passionate about shaping the future of the organization and the field. The Board is responsible for all financial and policy matters related to CAA, as well as promoting excellence in scholarship, curation, design, and art practice. CAA’s Board is also charged with representing and advocating for the membership regarding current issues affecting the visual arts and humanities.
Nominations and/or self-nominations must include the following:
- Nominee name, affiliation, and e-mail address
- Nominator name, affiliation, and e-mail address (if different from nominee)
- Nominee résumé/CV
- Nominee statement of interest (250 words maximum)
Please send all information and/or any questions via e-mail to Maeghan Donohue, CAA Chief of Staff & Director of Strategic Planning, Diversity, and Governance, with the subject line: Board of Directors Nomination.
Deadline: July 12, 2024
CAA Signs on to the American Historical Association’s Statement on 2024 Campus Protests
posted by CAA — May 06, 2024
CAA has signed on to the American Historical Association (AHA) Statement on 2024 Campus Protests, in response to recent decisions by colleges and universities to encourage police intervention and suppress protests. We stand with AHA in recognizing the historical dangers of suppression, “the fundamental value of peaceful protest on college and university campuses,” and the need for administrators at these institutions to reevaluate their forceful handling of such peaceful demonstrations:
“It is appropriate for universities to establish and enforce, through fair and transparent procedures, reasonable and content-neutral restrictions on the time, place, and manner of protests and other assemblies. These procedures should not, however, deprive students, faculty, and staff of their right to gather, speak, debate, and protest.”
AHA’s statement resonates with CAA’s mission to advocate for the visual arts through “intellectual engagement and a commitment to the diversity of practices and practitioners,” as more broadly this speaks to a commitment to advocating for diversity of ideas. Opposing ideas, whether expressed via visual art or through protest, can disturb and trigger discomfort. However, as AHA’s statement underscores, “encountering ideas that might make us uncomfortable is central to the educational process.”
OTHER LEARNED SOCIETIES AND INSTITUTIONS WHO HAVE SIGNED THE AHA STATEMENT
American Association for Italian Studies
American Association of Geographers
American Society for Environmental History
American Society for Theatre Research
American Sociological Association
Association for Asian Studies
Berkshire Conference of Women Historians
California Scholars for Academic Freedom
Dance Studies Association
Disability History Association
Executive Committee of Czechoslovak Studies Association
Historians for Peace and Democracy
International Labor and Working-Class History
Labor and Working-Class History Association
Linguistic Society of America
Medieval Academy of America
North American Conference on British Studies
Network of Concerned Historians
Oral History Association
PEN America
Shakespeare Association of America
Sixteenth Century Society
Society for French Historical Studies
Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
Society for the History of Children and Youth
Society for US Intellectual History
Southern Association for Women Historians
Southern Historical Association
Western Society for French History
World History Association