CAA News Today
CAA Signs on to the American Council of Learned Societies Statement on 2024 Campus Protest
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.
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
CAA Advocacy Policy and Procedures
posted by CAA — April 22, 2024
As the preeminent international leadership organization in the visual arts, CAA has an important role to play in public discourse on matters related to visual arts scholarship and practice. The CAA Board of Directors, Executive Director, members, and staff contribute to public understanding of visual arts advocacy through our newsletter, ED letters, social media platforms, special events, and sessions/workshops at our Annual Conference.
When the Executive Director or the Advocacy Committee perceives good reason to publish a statement on behalf of CAA (which may involve requesting endorsements from affiliated member societies/organizations or signing on to advocacy statements drafted by those affiliates), the Advocacy Committee convenes to interrogate the issue. If this issue is deemed in service to CAA’s mission and a majority of Advocacy Committee members agree to act, a member of the committee or staff will draft an original statement depending on capacity. The Advocacy Committee may approve the statement, reject it, or request changes; responses are needed from all members as soon as possible and no later than two days after receipt. The Advocacy Committee and Executive Director will agree on any action to be taken in response to expressed concerns. Once the entire committee reviews and approves the final draft, the statement will go live on the CAA website and will be distributed across social media channels when appropriate. In the case of a sign on to another organization’s advocacy statement, the Executive Director will share the sign on opportunity with the Advocacy Committee, and they will discuss and vote to determine whether to proceed.
The Executive Director is authorized to issue statements on behalf of the organization without review by the Advocacy Committee on time-sensitive matters (see example). At these times, the ED will specify this an ED response, so as not to speak on behalf of the Advocacy Committee, Executive Committee, or Board of Directors without consent.
CAA cannot respond to every advocacy request brought forth by our members. Our goal remains maximum impact when advocating for the field. There are times when calls to advocacy from one constituency directly conflict with another. It is for this reason that it is imperative our Board of Directors, and by extension, our Advocacy Committee remain diverse in background, field, and perspective, to ensure decisions are made as objectively as possible on behalf of membership and the field; advocacy action must also be in direct alignment with our mission, and in accordance with our 501(c)(3) status.
CAA must concentrate its energy and prestige on matters related to the advancement and protection of visual arts and scholarship, including academic infrastructure and professional practice.
Because CAA is the umbrella organization for a diverse membership with varying needs and viewpoints, we cannot engage in party politics and cannot take a stand on issues that are not in direct alignment with our mission.
CAA SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
The CAA Board, Executive Director, and staff agree that due to the limitations of the mode, comments made on social media about visual arts practice or scholarship by CAA staff are most effective when they are constructive and celebratory of the achievements of CAA and members of the CAA community. CAA staff and Board members may wish and indeed are encouraged to share information about CAA and its programs, including on social media.
CONTACT US
If you have an advocacy request, please contact info@collegeart.org with the subject line “Constituent Advocacy Request” and your concern will be escalated to the Advocacy Committee for immediate discussion.
Policy adopted by the CAA Board of Directors on February 18, 2024.
CAA Board President’s Open Letter to North American College and University Presidents
posted by CAA — February 09, 2024
On behalf of the College Art Association (CAA) and its Advocacy Committee, I write in support of an open letter from the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) written on December 18, 2023. As a partner learned society under the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), we urge you to uphold and protect academic and creative freedom on your campuses.
Since October 2023, we have seen a surge in threats to faculty, students, and college staff. The current Gaza-Israel conflict has generated widespread academic and scholastic debate; we call upon you during this difficult time to protect free speech and to defend academic freedom for all campus community members. We also urge you to refrain from censoring artist exhibitions in your campus galleries and museums.
CAA honors diversity and reflects an extraordinary range of cultures, perspectives, education, and experiences that make the advancement of art and design integral to our global constituencies and to culture at large.
CAA is committed to ensuring academic freedom and freedom of artistic expression and exhibition. We agree with MESA that “free speech is essential for any democratic polity, and this country’s institutions of higher education should be places in which even the most controversial and unpopular views can be expressed, debated and criticized. At the same time, all students deserve equal access to education, free from harassment and discrimination. Unfortunately, we are witnessing a dramatic increase in antisemitic, anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim harassment and discrimination on our campuses.”
As university leaders, you bear responsibility during charged political times to safeguard academic freedom, freedom of expression and artistic practice, as well as the physical welfare of all members of your community. We urge you to protect students, faculty, and staff and honor their right to freedom of speech without fear of intimidation, harassment, or retaliation.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Rissler, PhD
President, Board of Directors
CAA | Advancing Art and Design
CAA Signs ACLS Statement on Proposed Cuts at West Virginia University
posted by CAA — September 14, 2023
CAA has signed on to the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) statement, Fighting for an Ambitious Vision of Public Higher Education in America, in response to proposed cuts at West Virginia University. CAA stands with ACLS in the belief that the stewards of the university are “duty-bound to protect the creation and circulation of knowledge for the public good in all its diverse aspects, across disciplines and interdisciplinary areas.”
“By proposing major cuts in its undergraduate and graduate programs, including engineering, environmental planning, languages other than English, law, linguistics, mathematics, music, public administration, and theater, the university is denying its students and the people of West Virginia access to the wide range of knowledge necessary to fulfill that mission. The path WVU is treading is unprecedented for a public flagship and dangerous for American higher education and society.”
Other learned societies and higher education institutions who have signed the ACLS statement:
American Academy of Religion
American Folklore Society
American Historical Association
American Society for Environmental History
Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies
Association of University Presses
College Art Association
Dance Studies Association
Linguistic Society of America
Medieval Academy of America
North American Conference on British Studies
Rhetoric Society of America
Society for Cinema and Media Studies
Society for Ethnomusicology
Society for Music Theory
CAA Signs ACLS Statement on SCOTUS Affirmative Action Ruling
posted by CAA — July 07, 2023
Following the June 30 CAA Executive Director’s response to the US Supreme Court ruling invalidating race-conscious admissions considerations, CAA signed on to the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) statement on affirmative action.
The SCOTUS ruling stands in stark contrast to CAA’s commitment to meaningful diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. We concur with ACLS that “the active participation of diverse people in the scholarly enterprise is the best way to combat historic and systemic inequities,” and we remain dedicated to the contributions of all art scholars and practitioners.
Other learned societies and higher education institutions who have signed the ACLS statement:
American Academy of Religion
American Folklore Society
American Historical Association
American Philosophical Association
American Political Science Association
American Society for Environmental History
American Society for Theatre Research
Association for Jewish Studies
Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies
Association for the Study of African American Life and History
Association of University Presses
German Studies Association
Medieval Academy of America
National Women’s Studies Association
North American Conference on British Studies
Oral History Association
Organization of American Historians
Rhetoric Society of America
Shakespeare Association of America
Society for Cinema and Media Studies
Society for Ethnomusicology
Society for Social Studies of Science
Society of Architectural Historians
Society of Biblical Literature
SCOTUS Ruling on Affirmative Action: CAA ED Response
posted by CAA — June 30, 2023
The US Supreme Court ruling invalidating race-conscious admissions considerations at colleges and universities is antithetical to CAA’s mission, specifically our commitment to the diversity of practices and practitioners in the visual arts and academia. This is another in a series of blows to the field, the reverberations of which will be felt for generations to come.
Justice Clarence Thomas dismissing affirmative action policies at universities as “rudderless, raced-based preferences” demonstrates a deliberate suppression of the entire history of institutional racism in this country, which by design actively obstructs opportunity and access for so many.
Now more than ever, we must come together as an organization and develop alternative strategies for ensuring equity and representation in a meaningful way, without performativity or tokenism. Even with affirmative action policies in place, many important voices were relegated to the margins; this ruling will only serve to repress them further. We have a responsibility to continue fighting to center and amplify such voices.
Despite this current era of national regression in the realm of human rights, I still have faith we can have an impact, learn from a problematic past, and reshape the future of the field. Join me in continuing to transform pain into purpose.
Meme Omogbai
Executive Director & CEO
CAA | Advancing Art and Design
CAA Signs ACLS Statement on Florida House Bill 999
posted by CAA — March 07, 2023
CAA has signed on to a statement issued by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) regarding Florida HB 999. This bill would radically shift Florida’s approach to higher education in a manner that negatively impacts diversity and academic freedom; this is antithetical to CAA’s mission.
CAA stands with ACLS, together with other academic societies, and shares their belief that, if passed, the bill “ends academic freedom in the state’s public colleges and universities, with dire consequences for their teaching, research, and financial well-being.”
The full ACLS statement on Florida HB 999 can be viewed here. CAA encourages individual and institutional members to visit the ACLS website and sign on to the ACLS statement, as well as contact legislators, write op-eds, and proliferate information on social media to fight this bill.
Other learned societies and higher education institutions who have signed the ACLS statement:
American Academy of Religion
American Anthropological Association
American Association for Italian Studies
American Folklore Society
American Historical Association
American Musicological Society
American Philosophical Association
American Political Science Association
American Society for Environmental History
American Sociological Association
Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies
Association for the Study of African American Life and History
Association of University Presses
College Art Association
German Studies Association
Latin American Studies Association
Linguistic Society of America
Medieval Academy of America
Modern Language Association
National Council of Teachers of English
National Council on Public History
National Women’s Studies Association
Organization of American Historians
Rhetoric Society of America
Sixteenth Century Society & Conference
Society for Ethnomusicology
Society for Music Theory
Society for the History of Technology
Society of Biblical Literature
World History Association
CAA has also signed on to a Florida HB 999 statement issued by the American Historical Association (AHA) which can be viewed here.
Other organizations who have signed the AHA statement:
African American Intellectual History Society
American Anthropological Association
American Association for the History of Medicine
American Association of University Professors
American Folklore Society
American Philosophical Association
American Society for Environmental History
American Sociological Association
Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies
Association for the Study of African American Life and History
Association of Ancient Historians
Association of University Presses
Berkshire Conference of Women Historians
Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire
Central European History Society
College Art Association
Committee on LGBT History
Conference on Latin American History
Executive Committee of the Czechoslovak Studies Association
French Colonial Historical Society
German Studies Association
H-France
Historians for Peace and Democracy
Immigration and Ethnic History Society
Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library
Labor and Working Class History Association
LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida
Linguistic Society of America
Medieval Academy of America
National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education
National Council on Public History
National Council of Teachers of English
New England Historical Association
North American Conference on British Studies
North American Society for Oceanic History
Organization of American Historians
PEN America
Polish American Historical Association
Radical History Review
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Shakespeare Association of America
Social Welfare History Group
Society for Austrian and Habsburg History
Society for French Historical Studies
Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
Society for Textual Scholarship
Society for the History of the Early American Republic
Society for the History of Technology
Society for the History of the Early American Republic
Society for U.S. Intellectual History
Southern Historical Association
Texas Institute of Letters
Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University
Western Society for French History
Woodhull Freedom Foundation
World History Association
CAA Signs On to NCAC Letter Regarding Arkansas Tech University Exhibition
posted by CAA — February 08, 2023
CAA has issued a joint letter with the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) regarding a recent exhibition on display at Arkansas Tech University (ATU). The subject matter in the exhibit centers on issues of race and representations of troubling components of American history. After students of color voiced objections to the exhibition, the artist withdrew her exhibition.
We believe context is essential for artists to produce and display their work, and for others to consume that work with a critical gaze. The drafted letter states, in part, “by abdicating its responsibility as an educational institution to stand by its exhibition programming and actively create productive dialogue around it, the University has failed its students and the artist.” Previously, CAA collaborated with a number of agencies to create Museum Best Practices for Managing Controversy, a set of guidelines offering best practices for institutions “concerned about or confronted with accusations of inappropriate, objectionable, or offensive content.”
The full letter can be viewed here.
CAA Issues Statement On Hamline University Termination of Dr. Erika López Prater
posted by CAA — January 18, 2023
CAA has been following the termination of Professor Erika López Prater at Hamline University. As of last Friday, the Board of Trustees at the university has been engaged in a review of institutional policies, including those focused on academic freedom and inclusion. CAA strongly urges the Board and the administration to uphold the tenets of academic freedom with respect to Dr. López Prater for their public statements that have defamed and damaged her person and her professional reputation.
Academic freedom is a core principle of both Hamline University’s mission and CAA’s charter, and Dr. López Prater’s termination is a tacit rejection of everything that principle stands for in higher education. Beyond an infringement on academic freedom, Hamline’s actions are a dangerous precedent of academic administrators endorsing one side of a religious controversy.
Hamline University’s characterization of Dr. López Prater’s action as “Islamophobic” contradicts widely held definitions of the term from prominent public interest advocacy groups, including the national organizations CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), and MPAC (Muslim Public Affairs Council). Dr. López Prater met and exceeded pedagogical standards for teaching by providing advance written and verbal notice of the intention to illustrate her lecture with two images of the Prophet Muhammed. Additionally, the images she used are historic and symbolic works of art of significance, essential to teaching the long and rich art history of Islam.
CAA calls upon Hamline University, President Fayneese Miller, and AVP David Everett to apologize to Dr. López Prater formally and publicly. Furthermore, this would be the appropriate time to affirm their commitment to both the informed pedagogy that Dr. López Prater demonstrated, and the academic freedom to pursue truth that all professors should expect. CAA speaks on behalf of a membership base that is facing increasingly precarious standards of employment—which is the very reason Hamline University was so easily able to terminate Dr. López Prater. Amends would be made if they recommitted to a tenure-line position for the teaching of art history.
Additional Signatories:
American Sociological Association
Other Statements of Support:
Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA)
Mesa (Middle Eastern Studies Association)