(NEW YORK)– In response to reporting that Texas A&M University is considering a plan to remove tenure and faculty status for its librarians, Jeremy C. Young, senior manager for Free Expression and Education at PEN America, released the following statement:
“This plan at Texas A&M is fundamentally misguided. Texas is at the epicenter of a nationwide book banning frenzy, and the state’s lieutenant governor has made no secret of his political attacks on higher education. Given their unique role in the academy, librarians are obviously implicated in these political battles over free expression, literature, and knowledge. Now, at Texas A&M, they may have to participate in these battles without the rights and privileges of academic freedom and shared governance, free speech protections, eligibility for tenure, and representation in faculty senates and on faculty committees. The consequences for research, teaching, and learning in the university community could be grave.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 201-247-5057