Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916

Wednesday, October 16, 2024 — Houston, TX

Rice SJP critiques antisemitism training

By Maria Morkas     10/1/24 10:49pm

Administration, staff and faculty participated in a half-day antisemitism awareness training Sept. 13, sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The seminar was led by the Academic Engagement Network, a nonprofit organization that “mobilizes networks of university faculty and administrators to counter antisemitism [and] oppose the denigration of Jewish and Zionist identities,” according to its website.

In a Sept. 26 Instagram post, Rice Students for Justice in Palestine alleged the university was “push[ing] updated Zionist training about ‘antisemitism’ onto faculty and staff.”

“We … see this as an attempt to undermine our work on campus and to promote pro-Israel propaganda at Rice,” SJP wrote.



“The workshop is one part of ongoing efforts to educate and engage the campus on issues related to student belonging, with this session presenting a specific focus on antisemitism within the context of free speech and academic freedom,” a university spokesperson said in a statement to the Thresher.



More from The Rice Thresher

NEWS 10/8/24 11:36pm
Chabad at Rice hosts vigil for Oct. 7 anniversary

Nearly 150 students, staff and faculty gathered at Farnsworth Pavilion for a vigil commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Held up by clothespins, pictures paying tribute to killed Israeli people lined the walls of the room. 

NEWS 10/8/24 11:35pm
RUPD updates on recent campus crime

A single person is likely responsible for the rash of recent car burglaries in North and South Lot, according to Rice University Police Department Chief of Police Clemente Rodriguez in an email to the Thresher. The male suspect was identified with security cameras, but their identity could not be determined. No one has been arrested in connection to these burglaries, which occurred on Sept. 21 at 3 a.m. Students received a Rice Crime Alert email Sept. 22 informing them of the break-ins. The North Lot suspect had not been connected to the South Lot burglaries in the email.


Comments

Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.